New app aims to reach graduates, school and college leavers in bid to fill record vacancies in logistics

TalentX, the world’s first logistics-focused career development and recruitment app is set to launch later this month in a bid to tackle record vacancies in the industry.

TalentX founder and logistics professional Nick Winder won a nationwide entrepreneur competition with Birmingham-based SuperTech, for fully funded no-code tech development in October 2021 and will be launching the new app at the Bruntwood SciTech Innovation Birmingham Campus on 28 April 2022.

Figures released on the run up to Christmas by industry body Logistics UK revealed that 93% of logistics businesses were having recruitment issues, while the Office of National Statistics reported the highest ever number of vacancies in transport and storage, with 52,000 unfilled positions.

The new app aims to tackle two of the biggest challenges the industry faces in attracting new talent, namely a lack of awareness and poor perception.

Aimed at educators, school, college and university leavers, TalentX provides further details on the many and varied career opportunities in logistics as well as putting potential applicants in direct contact with the UK logistics firms.

TalentX founder, Nick Winder, who started his career as an agency warehouse worker in 1997 and has since go on to hold director positions at DHL and EV Cargo, launching his own business, WIN Logistics, in 2018, said:

“Logistics is a hidden profession. Everything you can touch and see, from your coffee to your clothing, has to pass through the supply chain, but very few people are aware of the huge number of high-value jobs that are created as a result of this. 

“While there has been a lot of focus on the industry in recent months and years due to the effects of Brexit and the Coronavirus pandemic, skills shortages have been a growing issue within the logistics for well over a decade and it isn’t just limited to HGV drivers! Like many careers, very few people wake up one morning and say ‘I’m going to be a logistician’, but with high-rates of pay, an ability to problem solve and the added satisfaction of seeing the results of a job well done, they really should.

“TalentX is designed to attract more people into the industry, providing them with a platform from which to grow their careers. While we’re focused on reaching people entering the world of work, there are also a huge number of vacancies available now for talented people looking for a career change.

“The fact is this isn’t a short-term problem and logistics is an industry that is here to stay, growing in importance as we increasingly rely upon online shopping and global trade. 85% of the jobs we’re going to need in the industry by 2035 don’t exist today. The skills we’re going to need will be completely different. We’re going to need engineers, marketers, digital experts. TalentX is designed to grow and develop alongside the industry, ensuring candidates can have successful and rewarding careers for life.”

Richard Atkinson CBE, who directed air operations in Afghanistan and is now a teaching fellow at Aston University and chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), will be speaking at the TalentX launch event. He said: “In almost every dimension, the world of logistics is fervently seeking out the talent to take the profession forward. TalentX will connect ambitious individuals to rising demand from agile logistics companies, across the UK.

“At Aston University – the UK’s leading logistics faculty – we know that logistics roles are fast-moving, action packed, people-centric, well-rewarded and problem-solving; they are for people who want to make a difference in the world! As a former senior commander of RAF combat forces, I know that amateurs think tactics – professionals think logistics.

“I encourage everyone to have a fresh look at the fabulous world of logistics and supply chain – it’s what makes the world go round.”

TalentX will be launched onThursday 28th April at theiCentrum, Innovation Birmingham Campus, Birmingham, B7 4BB. To find out more and register to attend visit: www.bit.ly/TalentXLaunch.