The Labour Party Annual Conference 2025

SME4Labour and RHA fringe: DELIVERING FOR THE NATION: THE WEST MIDLANDS ROLE IN TRAINING THE TRANSPORT WORKFORCE

Speakers:

• Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands
• The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
• Dr Fiona Aldridge, Chief Executive Officer ,Skills Federation
• Dave Robertson MP, MP for Lichfield
• Richard Smith, Managing Director, RHA

Chair: Rachel Taylor MP, MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth

The session, “Delivering for the Nation: The West Midlands’ Role in Training the Transport Workforce,” brought together policymakers, industry leaders and skills experts to examine how the region can address workforce shortages and strengthen its position as a national logistics hub.

Opening the discussion, Rachel Taylor highlighted the scale and significance of the logistics sector in the West Midlands, alongside pressing challenges such as freight crime and workforce shortages. She underscored the need for stronger policy tools, including a dedicated freight crime classification, to better protect businesses and drivers.

In his keynote address, Richard Parker emphasised that skills and opportunity must sit at the heart of regional growth. He outlined the West Midlands’ ambitious plans to invest in training and job creation, positioning logistics as a sector that offers accessible, stable employment and clear routes for progression. With thousands already employed in the industry, the Mayor stressed that continued investment in skills development is essential to sustaining long-term economic growth.

Liam Byrne highlighted the region’s strategic advantage as the “crossroads of the UK”, noting that the majority of the population is within a short driving distance. He pointed to emerging opportunities in green logistics and supply chains, arguing that the transition to a greener economy will create significant demand for new skills and jobs.

The discussion also explored the critical role of infrastructure investment. Dave Robertson outlined the importance of projects such as the Midlands Rail Hub in unlocking capacity, improving connectivity and supporting both passenger and freight transport. Such investments, he noted, will generate employment opportunities across engineering, logistics and maintenance, while strengthening the region’s economic resilience.

From a skills perspective, Dr Fiona Aldridge stressed the importance of employer-led training models. She argued that closer collaboration between government, training providers and industry is vital to ensure that programmes are aligned with real workforce needs. Flexible pathways, including sector-based entry programmes and apprenticeships, were highlighted as key to attracting new talent into the sector.

Richard Smith reinforced the need to improve awareness and perception of logistics careers, particularly among young people. He pointed to initiatives such as Generation Logistics as examples of how the industry can better showcase its diversity of roles and long-term career opportunities.

Across the discussion, a strong consensus emerged on the importance of partnership. Effective collaboration between public and private sectors was identified as essential to building a sustainable workforce pipeline, addressing skills gaps and ensuring that training provision keeps pace with industry demands.

The session concluded with a clear message: logistics is a cornerstone of the UK economy, and the West Midlands is well placed to lead the way. By investing in skills, infrastructure and collaboration, the region can unlock new opportunities, support economic growth and deliver a workforce fit for the future.

Bios:

Richard Parker

Richard Parker is the Labour and Co-operative Mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority. Elected in 2024, Richard is focused on delivering his four key priorities: jobs, homes, growth and journeys for everyone.

Since taking office, Richard has championed the West Midlands as a prime destination for global investment and innovation. He has secured £5 billion for the West Midlands Investment Zone to create 30,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing, green energy, and health-tech. Richard is also leading efforts to deliver 20,000 new social homes over the next decade, while training local people for jobs in key growth sectors. His Youth Plan is equipping the next generation with the skills needed to support business growth and drive the regional economy forward. Additionally, he is working to transform the bus network, aiming to make it more efficient and reliable to better connect people with jobs, services, and opportunities.

Dr Fiona Aldridge

Fiona is the Chief Executive at Skills Federation, the voice of employer-led sector skills bodies. Alongside this role, she is also a Skills England Board Member; a Non-Executive Director at Youth Futures Foundation, the What Works Centre for youth employment; and a member of the Mayor of the West Midlands’ Council of Experts. She has more than 25 years' experience of developing and implementing evidence-based policies and programmes across lifelong learning, skills and employment.

Prior to her current role, Fiona was Head of Insights and Intelligence at West Midlands Combined Authority, where she led the development of its Employment and Skills Strategy and on negotiations for the employment, skills and careers elements of the WMCA trailblazer devolution deal. She was previously Director of Policy and Research at Learning and Work Institute.

The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North

Liam Byrne is the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North. He has held a number of prominent roles in government and opposition, including as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and a Minister for the Cabinet Office. He is currently the Chair of the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee and also serves as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Inclusive Growth. Mr Byrne is an Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham and a former Gwilym Gibbon Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford.

Dave Robertson MP, MP for Lichfield

Dave Robertson is the Member of Parliament for Lichfield, elected in 2024. He has a background in education, having taught physics and astronomy, and in trade unionism, where he served as a union organiser for the NASUWT. Before his election to Parliament, Mr Robertson was a member of Lichfield District Council.

Lee Barron MP, MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire

Lee Barron is the Member of Parliament for Corby and East Northamptonshire, elected in 2024. Prior to entering Parliament, Mr Barron was a long-serving trade unionist, including a period as the Midlands Regional Secretary for the Trade Union Congress (TUC), where he represented over one million workers. He has also been a Northampton magistrate for over twenty years and served as a local councillor.

Rachel Taylor MP, MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth

Rachel Taylor is the Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire and Bedworth and the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Freight and Logistics. Before her election in 2024, she worked as a property solicitor and as a local councillor. Ms Taylor has a notable background in grassroots sports, having served as a line judge and umpire at Wimbledon. She is a member of the Women and Equality Select Committee.