A career in the logistics sector is still viewed as the least-attractive option for female workers.

This is according to Handling and Storage Solutions, which has reported the views of the Women in Logistics (WIL) organisation. It is planning to use the National Careers Week to encourage young students, particularly girls, to choose a career in the industry.

Vice-chair Clare Bottle commented: "We all depend on logistics every day, but when it comes to recruiting new people, the industry's fatal flaw is that you only notice it when it goes wrong."

She added that over the years, the target jobs for both sexes have tended to follow gender expectations. For example, girls are more likely to choose a career in health and beauty, or hairdressing.

According to statistics, the UK only has fewer than 250,000 vacancies in these fields, compared to 2.3 million positions available in the logistics sector. To highlight this, WIL has launched a new campaign designed at highlighting the gulf in employment opportunities and encourage more young girls into their profession.