Since its launch in 2021 by the Department for Education (DfE), the Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving initiative has had a significant impact. By the end of February 2025, some 3,474 participants had successfully completed HGV driver training at an HGVC run Skills Bootcamp. Of these, 2,695 subsequently received job offers. Moreover, by the same date, 965 different companies had utilised HGVC’s Skills Bootcamps – of which 838 were SMEs and 127 Enterprise firms.
These figures underline the crucial role that Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving have played in tackling the chronic shortage of HGV drivers that the UK was facing in 2021.
In addition, the scheme has attracted more diverse drivers – including younger trainees, women and people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, all of which have increased since the Skills Bootcamps were launched. Almost 10% of applicants to HGVCs Skills Bootcamps programmes have come from women; nearly 25% from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority groups; and around a third from drivers under the age of 36. This compares to just 1% of women and 4% of ethnically diverse rivers in the industry currently. These figures are replicated in official statistics; data from the Office of National Statistic shows a steady increase in the number of women gaining their HGV licence over the last three years.
Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, designed to help people build sector-specific skills. Organisations of any size have been able to access 100% funding by enrolling new recruits on the training scheme before they are employed. For organisations with fewer than 250 employees, the Skills Bootcamps are 90% funded, with employers paying the remaining 10 per cent of the course cost. For larger employers, the Skills Bootcamps are 70% funded.
Describing his firm’s experience of the Skills Bootcamps, Adrian Gray, Compliance Manager at James Kemball, said: “Ensuring we have enough trained drivers is crucial for our business and securing a fully funded place on one of HGVC’s Skills Bootcamps was an incredibly cost-effective and efficient way to solve this problem. We know that our new drivers will have the right skills for the job from day one and it means we can respond to new business opportunities much more easily.”
Commenting on the impact of the Skills Bootcamps to date, James Clifford, CEO of HGVC, said: “A sustainable driver workforce is essential for growth. The Skills Bootcamps have played an invaluable role in in helping remove the financial barrier that can deter entry into this profession for new drivers. Without them, the UK risks facing another disruptive HGV driver shortage, which will have wide-reaching implications for the UK’s economy. Despite the impressive legacy of the Skills Bootcamps, the problem they were designed to tackle has not been solved, and with no further funding currently confirmed beyond 2025, there are concerns within the business community about how they will continue to fund new HGV drivers.”
Logistics UK’s latest Skills and Employment Update shows that between Q3 2023 and Q3 2024, the number of HGV drivers employed rose by 20.9% – an increase of nearly 55,000. However, despite this growth, the report identified that: ‘long-standing employment challenges persist, including an ageing workforce, infrastructure dissatisfaction, and limited new drivers entering the profession’.
