THE PROJECT

In the EU, transport and logistics companies, most of which are small to medium-sized companies, employ more than 4% of the active population.

The Transport and Logistics sector is given greater consideration in employment and training policies. National dynamics tend to extend onto the European level: standardisation and certification, cooperation and coordination through social dialogue, transposition of common approaches, tools, and standards from one field to another or from one member state to another.

The European countries are considering transport and logistics as one overall sector, whose scope needs to be defined. Its worldwide and cross-functional nature leads to difficulties in identifying, characterising, and quantifying jobs.

Professional negotiations on vocational training have shown how concerned the social partners are about the risk of a lack of resources (Law dated 4 May 2004) and the tensions in the job market. It is important to anticipate the changes in trades, the expected skills, and the issues surrounding their transferability and their recognition.

The references, which play an increasing role in the management of vocational training as an interface with the market, are incomplete. Certain jobs are poorly identified or ill-defined.

Certifications for the logistics and transport trades are variable in how they take the necessary skills into account, and provide an unsatisfactory response to the needs of employers and training bodies.

According to EUROFOUND, the lack of qualified personnel is a real problem. Measures must be taken to reduce the discrepancies between levels of training in the various member states.

Surveys conducted by the AFT-IFTIM amongst companies (2009, 2010) reveal a strong demand for qualifications and training. New courses must be developed and must be in tune with professional practice in order to guarantee their relevance.