Lack of drivers in transport and logistics sector reaches 25% due to mobilization
In the transport and logistics sector in Ukraine, due to mobilization, the driver shortage has reached 25% of the need, in the passenger transportation sector in cities - up to 30%, said Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development and Infrastructure Serhiy Derkach.
"Some 25% (the shortage of truck drivers) is a preliminary figure that we collected from carriers and logistics companies. In some companies, this figure even reaches more than 50%, because this is a question of mobilization. In figures, this is about 30,000 drivers who are needed as truck drivers," Derkach said at the presentation of a pilot project to train female truck drivers.
In the public passenger transport sector, according to him, there is a shortage of about 30% of drivers - about 6,000 out of about 14,000 specialists needed in the industry.
According to Derkach, companies that have transport divisions in their structure independently train women who want to work as truck drivers. In addition, the ministry and the Foundation for Institutional Development, with the support of USAID, are implementing a project to train female truck drivers. Some 100 participants have already been selected to participate out of more than 1,000 who submitted applications. The project supports 25 large Ukrainian employers who are ready to hire women - among them are Ukrposhta, Nova Poshta, Metro Cash&Carry, Novus, Fozzy and others.
"We did not aim to close all vacancies with this project. We understand that this will not solve the situation globally. The project is designed to change the perception of a woman driving a truck in the eyes of employers - to show that this is possible and can be a way out of the situation. And the women themselves, who had not previously thought about the profession of a truck driver, considered it exclusively male, are motivated to consider it for themselves," said Derkach.
In addition, registration for the pilot project to train women drivers of passenger buses She Drives, which has already been supported by ten employer companies, has continued. Women have already submitted about 200 applications to the project.