Your local waste and recycling crew need you!
People are being urged to get on the road to a new career and help keep essential recycling and waste services running in their local community, thanks to a recruitment drive by FCC Environment.
FCC Environment, one of 19 leading employers behind Energy & Utilities Jobs, is looking to get more LGV 1 and 2 drivers behind the wheel to boost its teams working across the region. The company’s campaign comes in response to the severe national shortage of qualified LGV 1 and 2 drivers – a critical issue now causing widespread disruption across a range of sectors, brought on by a combination of Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors exacerbated by both changes to immigration regimes and a backlog of training and testing drivers.
FCC Environment is looking to attract more trained LGV 1 and 2 drivers to support all of its activities across the UK, including its domestic waste collection crews and household waste recycling centres. “As well as key worker status, working for a great company and some fantastic opportunities, qualified LGV 1 and 2 drivers joining us will benefit from a generous work and benefits package,” said Sara Atkinson, Senior HR Business Partner at FCC Environment.
According to Government figures, the driver shortage is reported to have increased over the last five years from 45,000 drivers in 2016 to 76,000 today. A recent Road Haulage Association (RHA) survey put the estimated shortfall at more than 100,000, with the warning that it will take 18 months to train enough drivers to address the problem, even if there are enough candidates to take the roles.
“All our staff have worked tirelessly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to maintain our services and ensure household waste continued to be collected but, as we return to normality, the sector is facing new challenges.
– Steve Longdon
FCC Environment Operations Director
The campaign to attract more qualified LGV 1 and 2 drivers is FCC Environment’s latest step towards tackling the issue. At the end of July, FCC Environment joined others in the sector in urging the Government to do more to protect vital waste and recycling services critical to public health and the environment, as well as the economy. In a letter to the Home Secretary, FCC Environment called for the introduction of a temporary worker visa for LGV 1 and 2 drivers, and for the occupation to be added to the official Shortage Occupation List, until such time that there are enough qualified UK nationals available to fill these positions.
““LGV 1 and 2 drivers are essential for the waste and recycling sector, and we are committed to doing everything we can to fill our driver vacancies to continue to play our part in protecting public health and the environment, as well as the UK’s green economic recovery.”
