Resource Pack Logistics is essential for the world to operate efficiently. Without the planning and execution of the distribution of goods, shops would have no stock, hospitals would have no medical supplies, and restaurants would have no food. 2016 In association with: The UK industry is worth almost 75 billion to the economy and employs around 2.3 million people. It is a big deal! Logistics links all the different stages in distributing a product, from transporting all the raw materials to getting something into a shop. Essentially, jobs in are about managing the chain of information in order to make the distribution process and movement of goods as smooth as possible. The sector is a 24/7 operation and output can be driven by different elements including weather, time of year or key holiday periods such as Christmas. Logistics is all about making sure that each job gets done in the right order and at the right time, so you ll need to be organised, good at planning, able to see the bigger picture and great with people. If you are a natural at organising things, have an eye for detail and a passion for people, then could be the perfect career for you.
Resource Pack What jobs can I do? The sector is so diverse that there are lots of different areas people can move into. Roles include those in planning, strategy, finance, marketing and information technology departments. When it comes to manufacturing a product, you can break logistical roles into six key areas: Sourcing finding quality materials as cheaply as possible. Transportation moving goods to where they are needed. Storage making sure all items are stored successfully and also stored in preparation for shipping to retailers. Production quality control and keeping wastage as low as possible. Distribution getting your product out to customers as quickly and efficiently as possible. Find out more about the gist programmes at: www.gistworld.com
Resource Pack Your route into College There are a number of formal qualifications in that can lead directly to the skills needed to work in the industry. The Business and Technology Council (BTEC) offers diplomas in that can be undertaken full-time or part-time at colleges. As the professional body for the industry, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) offers a range of accredited qualifications from entry-level right up to more advanced professional levels. The CILT qualifications can be found here www.ciltuk.org.uk/qualifications.aspx Apprenticeships An apprenticeship offers you a practical alternative to university and a fast route into a career with good prospects. Apprenticeships allow you to work towards a nationally recognised qualification whilst earning a wage. This practical route may be perfect if a career in excites you. Similarly to other job sectors, apprenticeships are becoming more common and impressive across the industry. Many top companies now offer their own apprenticeship schemes; your role and development path will depend on your employer, with some offering opportunities for early career progression. Gist Limited is a supply chain company with a long history, spanning over 100 years which offer two great apprenticeship schemes. Gist has customers in many different sectors including some of the biggest names
in food retail like Marks & Spencer, Dairy Crest, Starbucks and EAT. These are three specific schemes available at Gist that are perfect to get started in, both offering a mix of structured learning and the chance to shadow current employees, providing you with real workplace experience: Warehouse Team Manager Apprenticeship Scheme This is a scheme for people who want to become a Warehouse Team Manager and will include a City and Guilds Logistics Operations qualification at either Intermediate or Advanced level. Upon completion of the 12 month programme, there is scope to move onto the next level qualification for a further 24 months. Our Warehouse Operations teams handle goods from delivery from the warehouse through to despatch to store. As an apprentice, you will start the programme working within a team of warehouse operatives learning how to intake products, pick orders and load vehicles. In years two and three, you will have the opportunity to work with a Warehouse Team Manager to develop your skills and knowledge to become a successful Team Manager yourself in the future. Network Planning Apprenticeship Scheme This is a scheme for people who want to become an expert in transport planning and includes a City and Guilds Business Administration qualification at Intermediate, Advanced or Higher level. The scheme lasts 12 months with a scope to move onto the next level qualification for a further 12 to 18 months. Gist s Network Planning team plan all of the daily deliveries for our major customers. As an apprentice you will work with the team to provide daily transport plans, using specialised software. You will build relationships with customers and transport managers at all sites, becoming an expert in our transport operations.
Global Freight Management Apprenticeship Scheme This is a scheme for people who want to specialise in the planning and execution of international cargo and includes a City and Guilds Business Administration qualification in either Intermediate, Advanced or Higher levels. The scheme last 12 months with scope to move to the next qualification for a further 12-18 months. Our Global Freight management team specialise in supply chains with a high degree of time or temperature sensitivity and handle a variety of commodities ranging from fruit and flowers through to hazardous chemicals and gases. As a member of the team you will be responsible for ensuring the smooth flow of both goods and information to our global customer base. You will interface with partners and customers on a global basis and oversee the movement of goods within and between continents. Graduate If you fancy continuing your learning by going to university, and might consider a career in following that, many employers offer fast track schemes for university graduates to enter into. The application criteria and the specific details of the scheme will depend on the employer. Gist offers two Graduate Management Trainee Schemes in Operations and IT, both of which are designed to create the company s future business leaders. Gist also offers three 12 month Industrial Placement Schemes in Logistics Operations, Logistics Consultancy or Human Resources to penultimate-year students looking for an industrial placement as part of their four or five year sandwich-degree course. Find out more about the gist programmes at: www.gistworld.com
Tips for Getting a job We asked the experts at Gist for some top tips to help get you started towards a career in the industry: Display drive and passion for, be able to explain why you have chosen to work in. Make sure you know about the company you are applying for and who their main customers and competitors are. Research the role and programme you are applying for and the environment you will be working in. If you have done any extra curricular activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award or managing a football team, communicate the skills you have learnt and how you would use them in the work place.
Apprentice Case Study In association with: Warehouse Team Manager Crewe Depot M&S Food site Shane Describe your role in 200 words or less My job entails managing around 30 to 40 warehouse operatives, both agency and full time staff in various areas of the warehouse operation. Crewe depot is a 24 hour picking and out loading operation supplying the service to M&S Food stores in the Midlands, North West, Douglas and Ireland. My current experience and knowledge within the business has increased incredibly in which I have had the opportunity to run a sorter (Fridge), Ambient and Out-load operation during the day and night cycle. What do you like most about working for Gist? Being able to develop and learn at a quick pace within a very fast-paced environment. Within my current time at Crewe depot I have had the opportunity to execute many projects that involve finding ways to help run the operation in a more cost-effective way. What has been the highlight of your role? Being taken on as a full time Warehouse Team Manager at the age of 19 and after just one year of being with the business. I believe my drive, courage and determination helped me with the progression within the business.
Apprentice Case Study Careers in - case study What has been your biggest challenge? After beginning my apprenticeship last September and showing my ability in a standing manager s role, I was then challenged to manage the running of the peak (Christmas period) outload alone. This involved managing around 40 employees both full time operatives and STC (Short Term Contracts), to outload approximately 60 outloads EV s a day. Where do you see yourself in two years? In two years time, I would like to see myself as a very experienced Team Manager making a difference within the business, and then aiming to work my way up within the business to the next step in my career. What advice would you give to someone applying for your role? To make the most of the opportunities you are given by the business. I have learnt that Gist will give you the best support in your career but to get the great benefit from this you need take the advice on board and make the most of the opportunities that arise.
Apprentice Case Study Careers in - case study Joel Apprentice Team Manager Spalding Describe your role in 200 words or less My role is made up of a few different parts, it depends on what shift I have been allocated for that day. So for example if I am put on the 6am to 2pm shift, my role will include making sure the day shift are starting their day as smoothly as possible, making sure that I get a complete handover from the nightshift stand in, gathering all the information I need to complete the morning report which includes the site operations plan, a carry-over sheet, gathering all the temperatures, making a sheet that shows how many returns pallets we have in the warehouse and a few other sheets. The rest of the shift will be making sure I get things ready for the members of staff on the late shift. If I am on the late shift which is 11am to 7pm then I will be in charge of managing our stand-ins breaks, making sure certain product is getting labelled up for the night shift and making sure the night shift get a complete handover and they start their shift as smoothly as possible. My roles do include interacting with customers and sometimes drivers too. What do you like most about working for Gist? What I love most about working for Gist is the scope of opportunities that could come my way. I grew up not knowing what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do with my life and Gist gave me that first stepping stone into making something of myself. Obviously every job can have its bad days but 99% of the time I love coming to work; the people I work with are awesome, the support and praise I get for doing my job is unlike any job I d been in before, even school! And the fact that every day is different, nothing is the same as the last day, nothing is dull or the standard 9 to 5; it engages you so that you keep going forward, you keep bettering yourself. It s great.
Apprentice Case Study Careers in - case study What has been the highlight of your role? The highlight of my role at Spalding is probably the time that I was recognised as doing really well within the company. My manager is pleased with how I am progressing and developing and he renewed contract for my second year as an apprentice. That really hit home to me, really made me feel like I was becoming more and more part of the team within Gist, because it wasn t just his decision it was all the senior managers on-site and at head office in Chineham that had decided together that they still want me here as part of the Gist team. That made me feel good about myself and that I can actually do something here; they acknowledged my achievements and the progress I was making. It s not very often a company as big as Gist do that. What has been your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge is probably the fact that I m 21, trying to manage a team of guys 20 years older than me. It can be a real challenge trying to get across to them because in reality. I m just a kid to them, I need to earn their respect so it s about working as a team to get through the day which is very difficult for me to get across sometimes. That s probably one of my biggest challenges so far. What advice would you give to someone applying for your role? I d give them the same advice I give to all my friends. Chill. Don t fret about anything, as long as you show them you as a person and not a robot, as long as you show your future employers you re someone that can make a difference then you ve got nothing to worry about. Gist gave me a chance, if they can do that then you ve got absolutely nothing to fear. Gist are a company that welcome new people with open arms, they want new ideas, they want positive change, they want effective workers and fresh approaches. The apprenticeship is a great idea because you re learning and developing in a practical way as well as an academic way, you re not just thrown into the deep end like most jobs and left to do whatever. They will help you AND you re getting paid for it, what s better?
More useful resources Need more help with your career choices? You can find a wealth of help and opportunities at the following places: www.gistworld.com Gist recognise that the key to our success is our people. For us to deliver the best service to our customers, maintain a strong reputation and continue to grow, we need to recruit and develop the right people. Find out more about Gist opportunities. TM TheBigChoice.com student & graduate jobs TheBigChoice.com Find quality advice and opportunities in apprenticeships, part time jobs and training on this youth careers portal. School Leavers Guide This interactive app guide brings together expert advice, guidance on career steps and positions from top employers on tablets and smartphones. National Careers Service The official place for careers advice and information in the UK. National Apprenticeship Service Everything you need on apprenticeships and the best vacancies on offer.