A Government organisation today launched a campaign to address the skills shortages in the logistics sector upon which retailers rely heavily.

Skills for Logistics, which is part of Sector Skills Council, is urging more UK logistics companies to apply for publicly funded qualifications, such as NVQs and Skills for Life (literacy and numeracy), which have been shown to improve productivity.

According to Skills for Logistics, about 330,000 logistics employees lack basic reading skills and 450,000 lack basic number skills.

Skills for Logistics development director Mick Jackson said: “The UK economy is the fifth largest in the world and the logistics industry is the fifth largest sector in the UK economy. It turns over£75 billion a year and employs 2.3 million people, which is 8 per cent of the total UK workforce.