As CEO of one of coach and bus’s most prolific recruitment agencies, C9 Recruitment, Sam Wharfe has done much to combat the skills shortage in the industry. However, he says awareness of the transport sector is lacking and that more work needs to be done to proactively get younger people involved.
Of the driver shortage which has been problematic since the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Wharfe says: “It has eased up for the moment, but what about 10 years’ time? The average age of drivers is about 50 and they’ll be retiring in about 10 years. There are fewer and fewer youngsters coming from university, school being told about this industry.”
His own personal experience as a young executive illustrates the issue. He says: “I’m not from this industry. Four years ago, I was in tech and never thought about transport, never came across it in school. An ex-colleague mentioned we should get into it and I thought, ‘It doesn’t sound great to me.’
“But it was eventually a case of ‘wow’ — it’s only when you enter that sector that you realise. So, more needs to be on the outside of the industry to promote it and push people into it and that would have a big impact.
“A lot of larger operators are doing well with their apprenticeship programme, they’re growing. They’re doing the right things already, but there needs to be more awareness to it to bring people into the sector. We need to work more with colleges and universities.”
Speaking on C9 Recruitment’s stand at Euro Bus Expo, he adds that he believes the government will backtrack on some of what he calls ill-advised decisions in the recent Budget. “I think they’ve done it the wrong way,” he says. “Lots is going to change again — I don’t think these things will stick.”
