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Africa
In this article, James speaks about what his experience has been like working for Rhenus as a graduate.
The programme has been carefully designed to give graduates a broad experience of working in logistics. Each graduate experiences an introduction to five divisions across the Rhenus business, including transport (road, air & ocean and supply chain), high tech, home delivery and customs.
James is halfway through his second placement. Having worked in the customs part of the business, he is now in the road freight division.
“Most people think that logistics is just about getting goods from A to B but it’s far more complex than that,” explains James. “Every day is different, there are always fresh challenges, so you have to be adaptable, accepting of change and resilient. That’s what I love about the job, that no two days are the same. You get the opportunity to see how all the different departments and teams work together and how critical communications is to all operations.”
A varied role
The Rhenus UK training has been designed to provide graduates on the scheme with a strong grounding in supply chain planning, European and global freight movements, warehouse management, health and safety and customs. Importantly, developing the knowledge and experience needed for a successful future career in logistics management is an additional focus.
Through the programme so far, James has worked on a number of different projects, some of which have involved working with teams in Europe. This has enabled him to learn about the different priorities and approaches within different geographies.
“What I particularly like are the opportunities to learn from other people in the business in both the UK and Europe. I like the fact that I am given some level of responsibility; this is really important and very motivating. We all work as part of a team, so you know that you have the opportunity to work autonomously, but that you will always have a team behind you and supporting your role,” he explains.
For James, this diversity is what has made the job particularly interesting. “Within logistics there are always new things to learn, you’re not going to be doing the same repetitive job, and each day brings a deeper insight into the sector,” he added.
In addition to working in the different departments at Rhenus, James is also learning about how the business is driving efficiency and dealing with new rules and regulations that come in, especially around customs, one of the key areas where Rhenus supports its customers.
For James, being given trust and autonomy in certain aspects of his role has made a big difference. “For the new customs website, we could be the UK representatives and put forward our ideas, and I could play a crucial role in communicating with the marketing teams, and other colleagues overseas.”
A journey of discovery
James feels that the scheme has been very good for developing the knowledge acquired at university, where he did logistics and supply chain modules as part of his degree. “I could see how logistics plays into all businesses and that the sector is growing rapidly. It is the one industry that is showing growth, not decline, and I was excited by the opportunities it offered as a career.
“One of the things that have surprised me is the complexity of logistics. It wasn’t until I went into the road freight division that I could see how every part is crucial to the process, helping it to be as efficient as possible. Every day is different, there are always new questions to ask and something new to learn.
“I don’t think people realise how much is involved, especially when it comes to transporting goods in and out of different countries, ranging from coordinating the different modes of transport such as road, sea and air to sorting the complexity on the customs side. It all must meet customer and supplier standards as well as different legislation and regulations country to country.”
Inspiring the next generation
Each graduate trainee at Rhenus UK is allocated a mentor to guide them through their first two years and the programme has been designed to demonstrate that a career in logistics is an exciting and rewarding option for new graduates.
Gary Dodsworth, UK Road Director, Rhenus UK, said: “As an industry, we need to plan ahead and ensure that we have a knowledgeable, innovative workforce in place to face both the challenges and the opportunities of the future.
"With more than 100 years of logistics experience, our history, knowledge and people will support our new starters in their chosen career paths, in turn training them to support the business and play a key role in our future success.”
James agrees: “The scheme has definitely inspired me. When I have finished, I would like to go into a managerial role, and being given the tools and knowledge to become future leaders and managers is an integral part of the programme.”
