UK signs logistics training deal with China

The UK and China has announced a deal that will see the two countries work together on logistics training courses. Skills for Logistics (SfL) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Federation for Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) and British Council China which will develop partnerships on issues such as logistics talent cultivation, standardisation and vocational education. The move could develop the next generation that are looking to secure logistics jobs in the UK and further afield and officials explained that one of the main aims is to establish a platform which allows for the communication between employers, education and training institutions as well as the central government in both nations. The UK has been ramping up its logistics prowess with the development of a number of key projects. One of the main focus points has been the creation of a superport in Liverpool which has seen around £2 billion being invested into the sector and allows the Merseyside dock to challenge facilities on the south coast. Among these plans is the inclusion of the Liverpool 2 scheme which will see the creation of a £300 million Peel Ports facility. The move is designed to improve supply chain operations across the nation. SfL believes that the partnership with its Chinese counterparts will help form a strong relationship and create future student and employee exchanges. Having an industry that contains a host of fully trained new recruits can only spell untold benefits for the UK and its colleagues from the Far East. Susan Milner, director education at the British Council China, said: “Through supporting the development of partnerships between logistics sector employers, colleges and logistics trainees from China and the UK, this MoU will enhance the provision of skills training and increase employability in both countries." The deal was signed at the offices of Unipart Logistics in Cowley, Oxfordshire on Friday (April 12th) and represented the hard work that went into a delegation visit to China which led by SfL in October 2012.