The logistics sector has long been the backbone of the UK economy, but the chronic shortage of HGV drivers has tested the industry’s resilience year after year. Thankfully, the government stepped in with the Skills Bootcamps initiative, providing fully or partially funded HGV driver training to help tackle the shortage and support the logistics recruitment market.
However, the clock is ticking. While the scheme has been extended several times, Skills Bootcamps for HGV driver training are set to end in February 2026. This marks a major shift for training providers, logistics recruitment agencies, and the wider transport and haulage industry.
The key takeaway? If your business is in logistics recruitment, the time to act is now, before this government-funded opportunity disappears. With the right strategy and the right partner, you can not only maximise the scheme before it ends, but also future-proof your business beyond it.
What Are Skills Bootcamps and Why Do They Matter?
Launched as part of the government’s wider Lifetime Skills Guarantee, Skills Bootcamps are flexible, employer-led training programmes designed to fill skills gaps in priority industries, including logistics.
Specifically for HGV training, these Bootcamps offer funding of up to 100% of training costs for individuals and up to 70% for employers, covering key qualifications such as the Category C and C+E licences. The scheme also requires providers to ensure learners are either progressing into a job or improving their current job prospects, making it a win-win for training companies and logistics recruiters.
Since its rollout, thousands of new HGV drivers have been trained and placed into roles across the UK, helping ease the pressure on supply chains and providing vital support to logistics firms.
But with the scheme now in its final funding phase, logistics recruitment businesses must ask themselves: are we doing enough to take full advantage of this opportunity before it ends?
Time Is Running Out – Act Now to Secure Long-Term Success
With less than a year remaining, logistics recruitment agencies and training providers face a critical, but limited, window of opportunity to take full advantage of the Skills Bootcamps scheme before it ends in February 2026.
Now is the time to enrol and train as many candidates as possible while government funding is still available, secure long-term client relationships by consistently placing job-ready HGV drivers, and build the operational infrastructure and internal processes that will sustain your recruitment business long after the funding comes to an end.
Every driver you train and place today isn’t just a short-term success, it’s a long-term opportunity: a recurring revenue stream, a valuable client partnership, and a chance to strengthen your position in the logistics recruitment space.
But let’s be honest — scaling up at speed, while managing back-office pressures and cash flow, is no easy task.
That’s where Simplicity comes in.
Simplicity: Your Funding and Back Office Partner in Logistics Recruitment
At Simplicity, we specialise in supporting logistics recruitment agencies with the funding and operational infrastructure they need to scale confidently and compliantly, especially during transitional moments like this.
Whether you’re a specialist HGV recruitment agency or a training provider now stepping into the world of recruitment to qualify under the scheme, we’re here to support your growth and simplify your operations.
What We Do for You:
- Instant Invoice Funding
No more waiting 30+ days for client payments. We advance up to 100% of your invoice value, so you can focus on growth, not cash flow. - Complete Back Office Support
From payroll processing to HMRC submissions, compliance, timesheets, holiday pay, pensions and beyond, we take care of everything behind the scenes. - Full Recruitment Infrastructure
As part of our comprehensive agency model, we also offer Drivers’ Negligence insurance, giving you and your clients added peace of mind when placing temporary or contract drivers. It’s just another way we help logistics recruitment agencies operate with confidence. - Freedom to Focus
You train. You place. You grow. We handle the rest.
Future-Proof Your Logistics Recruitment Business
The end of Skills Bootcamps doesn’t mean the end of opportunity. In fact, it opens the door to sustainable growth for agencies ready to invest in long-term logistics recruitment operations.
Here’s what a smart transition looks like:
- Maximise placements now while government funding is still available.
- Build robust recruitment operations that can outlast short-term schemes.
- Partner with Simplicity to remove financial and administrative barriers to growth.
- Focus your energy on what really matters: training, placing, and serving clients.
To find out more about the HGV Skills Bootcamps, visit https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/training-choice/skills-bootcamp
Want to Know More?
Whether you’re a logistics recruitment agency looking to maximise placements or a training provider pivoting into recruitment, we can help you build a scalable, fully supported business model that thrives – both now and beyond February 2026.
Discover how Simplicity can fund your growth and run your back office for you!