As an increasing number of fleet professionals reach retirement, the U.K.-based Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has issued a call for experienced fleet managers to help develop a new apprenticeship standard for fleet specialists.

An AFP group, headed by Matt Neale, is working with U.K.’s Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to form what the institute calls a “trailblazing” 20-member group to create an apprenticeship standard.

According to the Institute, apprenticeship standards indicate “what an apprentice will be doing and the skills required of them, by job role. Standards are developed by employer groups known as ‘trailblazers.’”

Employers can use the Institute’s apprenticeship training service to search for suitable apprenticeships and identify approved training providers who can deliver that training.

“Once the structure of the apprenticeship is finalized, the trailblazing group need to be ready to recruit apprentices straight away,” said Neale.

Eight fleet managers and their companies have signed up, but Neale and his group need another 10 or more to get the final apprenticeship go-ahead. “We’re therefore very keen to hear from people and their employers who are interested in taking part,” Neale said.

“By the time everything is hopefully in place, apprentice recruitment would need to start in 2025, so there is quite a lot of time for companies to make plans and get funding approved internally — but we do need a commitment relatively soon,” Neale explained.

Initially the apprenticeship would likely be Level 3, designed to provide an entry point into the sector, appealing mainly to students who have left school and college.

Administrators are needed begin the fleet sector training “because they are integral to the daily running of fleets,” said Neale. “Once they have completed their apprenticeship, they can progress towards becoming a fleet manager, which is where the AFP’s structured range of training courses can help develop individuals. This is the journey that I have taken through the industry.”

Not enough talent is entering the fleet management field to create a succession process or replace the many experienced fleet professionals due to retire in the next few years, the AFP member contends. “Knowledge and experience are in danger of being lost from our industry and the apprenticeship could be an important step in preventing this.”

Noting that fleet management is not a profession with a recognized entry route, AFP Chair Paul Hollick, commented, “The creation of a fleet specialist apprenticeship standard would be a huge boost to the industry. … Having an apprenticeship would change that and provide a structured career path into the fleet sector."

“In the future, especially as fleet managers continue to evolve into mobility specialists, an apprenticeship could sit alongside career choices in other corporate specialisms such as human resources and procurement, providing a steady stream of talented individuals into the sector.”

Hollick explained that while the AFP fully backed the idea of an apprenticeship, the creation of any new initiative must be "almost entirely reliant on industry participation.”

He called on employers to put “their money where their mouths are. If the industry wants a fleet apprenticeship standard — and we believe it needs one —  there must be a group of businesses willing to participate in the process and ultimately create jobs, putting in place the support, resources and mechanisms that apprentices need.”

For further information on the apprenticeship trailblazing group, contact AFP at administration@theafp.co.uk.