Logistics industry seeks trainees

Schoolchildren view employment opportunities at Frankfurt Airport

Around 40 schoolchildren from the Frankfurt region were at Frankfurt Airport on 22 October for a look at future employment prospects in the logistics and transport industry at the invitation of the “Freight needs the Night” Initiative and Lufthansa Cargo. The Forwarding and Logistics Association in Hesse / Rhineland Palatinate informed the children about training opportunities in the industry, while trainees from Lufthansa Cargo and DB Schenker gave the children practical insights of their apprenticeships and spoke about the qualifications they hope to acquire. Afterwards, the young visitors went on a guided tour of the airport complex and the Lufthansa Cargo Center.

“The logistics business is growing and constantly seeking new trainees. The industry offers new trainees a wealth of varied experience. As a result of international networking, trainees  also have the chance of spending time abroad as part of their tuition,” explained Lufthansa Cargo Training Manager Armin Röder.

During “question time”, some of the children were curious about the effects of the surprise night-flight ban at Frankfurt Airport. “Frankfurt Airport is among the biggest employers in Germany. In Cargo City South alone, more than 9,000 jobs have been created since it opened in 1996.  The imposition of a final ban on night flights in Frankfurt would certainly lead to job losses,” Ewald Heim, Managing Director of the “Freight needs the Night” Initiative, told them. It is possible that trainees would then no longer be taken on the staff on completion of their training,“ he said.

The “Freight needs the Night“ initiative
The Association of German Freight Forwarders and Logistics Operators (DSLV), the Federal Road Haulage, Logistics and Disposal Association (BGL), the Forwarding and Logistics Association of Hesse/Rhineland-Palatinate, the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG) and the Air Cargo Club Germany (ACD) joined with Lufthansa Cargo in founding the “Freight needs the Night” initiative in June 2010 in order to campaign jointly for competitive operating times at German airports. In preference to the imposition of an outright and indiscriminate ban on night flights, the initiative is pressing for a practicable night-flight ban at airports that strikes a fair and justifiable balance between  the rights of local residents and the requirements of the logistics industry. Meantime, the Initiative has been joined by a further ten members, including the Automotive Industry Association(VDA) and the International Express and Courier Services Federation (BIEK). The aims of the initiative enjoy the backing of around 100 companies. The initiative’s honorary Managing Director is Ewald Heim.
www.die-fracht-braucht-die-nacht.de