Training & Development

Building the future of freight through apprenticeships at GEODIS

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Overview

With branches including Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester, apprenticeships have become an important part of how GEODIS recruits, trains and retains its people.

We have worked with GEODIS for many years, supporting apprentices across both warehouse and office-based operations – with some progressing from entry-level positions into senior roles.

One former apprentice has even gone on to manage a sales team.

The challenge

Freight and logistics is a fast-moving industry, and attracting a new generation of people into the sector can be challenging.

GEODIS wanted an effective way to recruit people who could learn the industry, understand the organisation and develop with the business.

It also needed an apprenticeship partner capable of making the process straightforward for its managers – from recruitment and applications through to onboarding and training.
Debbie Morley, who has worked in HR at GEODIS for 16 years, has seen first-hand the difference apprenticeships can make.

“We’ve had a really good experience with apprentices. We’ve had quite a few of them stay and continue, and one is now manager of a sales team that started off with us as an apprentice.”

Key metrics

apprentices currently active across warehouse and office operations

Multiple

UK branches with apprentices in London, Manchester and Birmingham

100 %

programme continuation since partnering with our training team

The solution

We work closely with Debbie and the wider GEODIS team to make apprenticeship recruitment and training as straightforward as possible.

Our team supports the process from advertising opportunities and shortlisting applicants through to getting each apprentice established on their programme.

This allows GEODIS to concentrate on introducing apprentices to the business and giving them valuable experience across different areas of freight and logistics.

Apprentices can gain exposure to operations, warehousing, imports, exports, customs, pricing and sales – building a broad understanding of the industry while GEODIS develops people around the skills its business needs.

“It’s good for them and good for us because we can train them to whatever we need.”

Apprenticeships aren't just for new recruits

The success of the programme has encouraged GEODIS to look beyond apprenticeships purely as an entry route for young people.

The business now also uses apprenticeship programmes to develop and upskill existing employees.

After identifying development opportunities for a long-standing member of staff, for example, GEODIS worked with our team to enrol the employee onto a multi-channel marketing apprenticeship.

As Debbie explains:

“We’ve been using Seetec for training up our employees, not just for young people that have left school or college.”

Creating a sustainable talent pipeline

Apprenticeships have become so established within GEODIS that managers now actively look to the programme when junior opportunities arise.

When an apprentice progresses into another position, the business can recruit another apprentice to begin their own career journey.

GEODIS also promotes apprenticeship opportunities through school open days, helping sixth-form students understand the careers available within freight and logistics.

For the business, the approach provides more than a recruitment solution. It creates a sustainable pipeline of people who can learn the organisation from the ground up and potentially build long-term careers within it.

“If an apprentice moves up, we bring another in. We don’t put junior roles out to agencies anymore. We always go through the apprentice programme.”

Debbie believes more businesses could benefit from taking the same approach:

“I’m surprised when other companies don’t use apprenticeships, to be honest, because it works. It’s worked for us. It saves the business money in the long run, especially if the candidate likes the company.”

Build the skills your business needs

From recruiting new talent to developing your existing workforce, apprenticeships can help you build skills around the needs of your organisation.

Speak to our apprenticeship team

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