THE IMHX 2020 exhibition will be held between the 24th September to the 27th September at Birmingham NEC. The event is the biggest showcase of the logistics sector, which currently represents around 200,000 firms in the UK and employs in the region of 2.5 million people.
A high-profile industry event
This year the event will include an apprenticeships and wider skills zone to focus on the fact that the logistics industry is the fifth-biggest sector in terms of employment in the UK and that skills are more in demand than ever.
The skills and apprenticeship showcase will feature candidates who are actively seeking a logistics apprenticeship with a firm in the field – bright and talented young people who are keen to learn on the job rather than going to university.
For those exhibiting on the day, items such as electrics, cabling, tables, chairs and Lin bins will be available, which can be procured from suppliers such as https://www.rackzone.ie/bin-racks.
The unsung economic hero
Those in the industry point out that logistics is Britain’s unsung economic hero, often with less coverage than industries such as manufacturing and finance. The industry is also growing as online shopping grows, with all the attendant shipping needs. Already it is believed to be worth around £100bn to Britain’s economy and offers highly-skilled roles in management, engineering, IT and more.
For young people keen to get into a skilled job with plenty of prospects rather than taking on university debt, apprenticeships are highly attractive and demand for these roles is already stripping supply.
Young people taking part in the zone will benefit from talks by the industry-led initiative Think Logistics and the opportunity to meet employers such as Toyota Material Handling. Providers will be on hand to offer information about apprenticeships in the field, with a huge number of opportunities available at any one time in a variety of fields and functions.
The IMHX 2016 event looks set to be the biggest yet, with almost 450 exhibitors already having booked their space. It will be sponsored by Investec, the financial services provider, and feature displays and interactive exhibitions that relate to all aspects of modern intralogistics. These include a supply chain IT ‘village’ demonstrating the latest technologies on offer, from materials handling to racking and forklift truck management.