From Northampton to Accra: driver training with Transaid
Lucas O’Brien, Team Leader, GXO UK&I
Most people finishing a supply chain degree apprenticeship expect their next challenge to be a new team, a new role or a new site. For me, it was Ghana.
Shortly after completing my four-year Supply Chain Management Degree Apprenticeship with GXO and Sheffield Hallam University, I joined Transaid for a six-month secondment in Accra. Working as a Project Officer on the Driving Safety Across Ghana programme, I supported the rollout of a new national heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver training standard designed to improve driver competence and road safety across the country.
I’ve always enjoyed travelling and experiencing new cultures, so when I saw the opportunity advertised internally at GXO, it immediately stood out. It offered the chance to step outside my comfort zone, apply what I’d learned during my apprenticeship in a completely different environment and contribute to a project making a tangible difference.
The opportunity exists through GXO’s long-standing partnership with Transaid, an international development organisation that works to improve road safety and access to transport across sub-Saharan Africa. Over the years, several GXO colleagues have taken part in secondments, sharing skills and expertise while supporting programmes designed to improve lives and strengthen transport systems.
Raising the standard
Within weeks of arriving in Ghana, I was discussing HGV driver training standards, attending meetings with industry stakeholders and helping develop training materials aligned with Ghana’s new national driver training curriculum.
The programme is helping improve the quality and consistency of driver training across the country. Since August 2024, nearly 5,000 drivers have received education and training informed by the new standard, demonstrating the scale of the initiative and the role effective training can play in improving safety outcomes.
I also attended conferences, industry roundtables and meetings with regulators and transport stakeholders, helping me understand the scale of the challenge and the importance of creating training that is both practical and relevant for drivers across the country.
Taking training on the road
One of the best parts of the role was getting into the field. Alongside Transaid colleagues, I travelled across Ghana speaking directly with drivers and trainers, supporting road safety awareness sessions and promoting the new national HGV driver training standard. From Accra and Kumasi to Tamale, Yendi and Paga, every visit highlighted the vital role professional drivers play in keeping goods moving across the country.
It also brought some of the road safety challenges into sharp focus. On one journey to Kumasi, we passed several broken-down trucks at the roadside. In many cases, there were no reflective warning triangles, just branches and leaves placed behind the vehicle to alert approaching traffic.
Moments like this reinforced why the programme matters. Alongside awareness sessions, we distributed advanced warning triangles and high-visibility jackets, helping drivers adopt simple safety measures that can reduce risk when vehicles break down. Seeing those challenges first-hand connected the training materials we were developing with the realities drivers face every day.
Beyond the classroom
My degree apprenticeship gave me a strong foundation in supply chain management but this experience taught me things no classroom could.
Working in a different country required adaptability. Things didn’t always happen in the way, or at the pace, I was used to. Projects often involved navigating different priorities, perspectives and ways of working. Learning how to adapt quickly while keeping things moving was one of the biggest lessons I took from the experience.
I was fortunate to work alongside a brilliant team, whose expertise and support helped me settle into the role and understand the wider challenges surrounding road safety in Ghana. Their willingness to share knowledge and trust me with responsibility from an early stage made the experience all the more rewarding.
Bringing it back to GXO
What struck me most during my time in Ghana was how universal some of the fundamentals of logistics really are. Whether you’re supporting customers in the UK or a road safety programme in West Africa, the principles are often the same: strong training, clear standards and a commitment to safety.
The secondment also accelerated my development in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Working with regulators, industry bodies, trainers and drivers strengthened my ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders and adapt to new challenges. Back at GXO, those experiences continue to shape how I approach problems, collaborate with colleagues and deliver for customers.
This opportunity to contribute to a programme helping improve driver training and road safety, while developing skills and experiences is something I’ll carry throughout my career. It’s not the path I expected when I started my apprenticeship with GXO but it’s one I’m incredibly grateful to have taken.
As GXO celebrates another year as one of the UK’s leading apprenticeship employers, opportunities like this demonstrate what’s possible when investment in learning extends beyond the workplace. Through partnerships like Transaid, apprentices and graduates can apply their skills in meaningful ways, support programmes that make a real difference and return with experiences that benefit both their own careers and the customers we serve.
And it’s proof that learning doesn’t stop when the apprenticeship ends.
