Making membership matter

Posted on Monday 8 December 2025

Warehousing has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing industries, yet now it faces its toughest tests: skills shortages, spiralling costs, and the race to decarbonise.

ACCORDINGLY, THIS year, the UK Warehousing Association is supporting members on skills, advising on AI and singing from the rooftops about the success of solar power!

In UKWA’s ‘Membership Matters’ survey, members’ top concerns were cited as workforce recruitment, retention and productivity, along with the challenges of reducing operational costs and managing warehouse capacity and location.

Participants ranked topical content and professional advice (including UKWA Conditions of Contract) as their most valued benefits, with representation to government and networking events scoring highly too.

Accordingly, UKWA is focused on helping address the issues highlighted, providing information and advice on managing costs, engaging with government to highlight unfair business rates, talk about the skills gap and promote the benefits of rooftop solar power, while we offer market leading training opportunities to help employers attract and retain employees too.

The survey also pinpointed emerging priorities for members on future-proofing their businesses in the areas of AI/analytics and sustainability. Here too, members look to UKWA to step up and provide the latest information and guidance on new tech developments and practical implementation.

UKWA National Conference 2026

The UKWA National Conference, held on 4 March 2026 at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham and showcasing an impressive range of products and services for warehouse operators, offers a valuable opportunity to hear from experts and share best practice with colleagues on these crucial topics. A keynote session from sponsor Kallikor will examine the potential benefits of AI for warehouse operators, explaining that this powerful technology is not just for major blue-chip companies, but can be a serious game-changer for SMEs too.

Naturally, the relentless rise of cybercrime and the importance of cyber security in protecting your business will be high on the agenda, along with panel discussions and break-out sessions on WMS, rooftop solar, real estate, skills and sustainability.

Solar power: the rooftop revolution

The huge potential for warehouses to save costs, secure electrical supply and improve sustainability through rooftop solar power has been an ongoing campaign for UKWA since its landmark report into the benefits and barriers posed by rooftop solar power.

Energy costs continue to be high as the sector moves towards increased electrification and seeks to meet decarbonisation goals, so this issue remains central to UKWA’s mission for 2026.

Significant progress has been achieved already. The Government has introduced legislation to expedite planning for solar rooftop installations and laid out ambitious targets for trebling solar power by 2030.

Most recently, in June 2025, in the Government’s Solar Roadmap, UKWA was specifically tasked with producing a handbook to lead the industry on the journey to ‘rooftop revolution’.

The Association responded, supported by leading companies with expertise in solar installations, and has produced a comprehensive step-by-step Solar Toolkit to support those looking to implement solar power projects.

The new Solar Toolkit signposts to stakeholders, explaining who to speak to and when, covering the end-to-end lifecycle of a project, with real-life case studies and advice on what to expect at each stage.

Described by Minister for Energy Michael Shanks MP as providing, “all the resources, support and practical knowhow that owners and occupiers need to take the next step,” the UKWA Toolkit is designed to be an accessible manual for the growing number of businesses wishing to embark on their solar rooftop journey, future proofing their business and saving on energy costs.

UKWA’s Solar Toolkit is free to download from www.ukwa.org.uk

Training, apprenticeships & skills

Driving up standards is at the heart of our mission and UKWA’s Warehouse Manager CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) continues to attract learners from across the spectrum. Major retailers, national charities and leading logistics providers are all seizing the opportunity to upskill or refresh key staff with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to manage a modern warehouse successfully. The course is a hybrid of online and face-to-face learning and includes peer networking and a warehouse visit.

The course is part of a wider training portfolio, offered under the banner of UKWA Learning. Our Learning Hub includes a suite of short courses, covering Regulation & Compliance, Health & Safety, and Workplace Skills to boost productivity and performance. All courses are delivered via UKWA’s online platform, enabling people to learn at their own pace, earn recognised credentials and develop their career in warehousing.

In response to the feedback on skills from our Membership Matters survey, further investigation is planned to scope the skills ‘gap’ to inform conversations with policy makers on training, apprenticeships and the changing skills requirements for warehousing as businesses evolve in an increasingly digital world.

UKWA represents the warehousing sector on the Department for Transport’s Freight Workforce Group, which was established to deliver an ambitious work programme to meet the Government’s missions on economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity.

Objectives include ensuring that training offerings are fit-for-purpose, boosting awareness of careers in the sector, removing barriers to recruitment and retention, and reducing acute labour and skills shortages.

This is a key channel for UKWA to communicate policy positions on behalf the warehousing sector, including reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy and the adoption of the UKWA Warehouse Manager CPC as part of a wider industry Apprenticeship programme.

Building community

Another of our core pillars is building community across our membership and the wider sector. Our high-profile events enable us to bring together friends, colleagues and customers to talk about – and celebrate – warehousing.

The highlight of the sector’s summer calendar is the UKWA Awards for Excellence. Once again achievement will be celebrated in style on 15 July 2026, with a superb lunch and networking after-party at The Royal Lancaster London. Finalists, winners and sponsors all bask in the extensive publicity created by this event, while the Annual UKWA House of Lords Luncheon provides a further chance to enjoy a day out at the heart of the Capital in prestigious surroundings with politicians and peers.

Our popular Roadshows will make a come-back in 2026 too, thanks to another valuable insight from our Membership Matters survey, where members asked for more local engagement from UKWA.

Members told us what they care about, and we have listened. Look out for more updates on plans for 2026 and beyond from UKWA – where membership truly matters.

2026

Mission