At Prologis, we’re committed to building sustainable partnerships, which is why it’s particularly special that our site, Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) has been recognised as a Cornerstone Employer by the South East Midlands Careers Hub. The Cornerstone Employer certification, overseen nationally by the Careers and Enterprise Company, recognises businesses that provide quality career pathways and help upskill students.
To achieve our certification, we collaborated with several of our DIRFT customers including GXO, Sainsbury’s DHL, Culina and Boohoo to provide early career talks, site tours and educational programmes about the logistics industry, showcasing the depth and breadth of career opportunities available to young people.
In addition to supporting schools and colleges, we also run the Prologis Warehousing and Logistics Training Programme (PWLTP) with the aim of providing support, training and development programmes to young and unemployed people so that they can gain employment in the logistics sector.
Since January, Prologis has opened the doors at The Hub at DIRFT to over 200 students, who are given a chance to meet with our customers operating at DIRFT to provide them with a better understanding of the industry and help them make informed decisions about their future career paths.
Our goal is to highlight the job opportunities and apprenticeship routes available within the logistics sector after our latest report found that only 7% of young adults aspire to have a career in logistics. In October 2022, Career Leaders from local schools and voluntary Enterprise Advisors from local businesses were invited to DIRFT to meet apprentices to discuss their journey and career choices in logistics.
Being recognised as a Cornerstone Employer is a testament to Prologis' commitment to the local community, young people and our customers who seek to invest in their future talent pipelines. We are proud to be part of a network of employers dedicated to creating opportunities for young people and playing a role in helping to create a more vibrant and prosperous future. This is only the beginning and there’s so much more we can achieve in the future!
Isobel Taylor, Strategic Hub Lead, South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are delighted to have Prologis UK and its customers from the wider DIRFT involved as a Cornerstone Employer, a collaborative beacon of good practice in West Northamptonshire and the wider SEMLEP region for early career activity. A key priority of the hub is to advocate all apprenticeships and technical education, the Hub at DIRFT has provided activities to 12 schools and colleges and to over 200 young people, bringing together students, employers and apprenticeship providers to improve how they prepare young people for their next steps. DIRFT has played an integral role in inspiring and informing the future workforce about the vast pathways and careers in logistics through the activities they have facilitated for students and education professionals.”
The South East Midlands Careers Hub is hosted locally by SEMLEP, directed nationally by the Careers and Enterprise Company with funding from Department for Education and local partners including West Northamptonshire Council. For more information South East Midlands Careers Hub