Driver CPC: looking beyond the deadline

    
This indicates that new individuals are entering the PTV (Public Transport Vehicle) and LGV (Large Goods Vehicle) sectors. Also, when added to the 437,504 who have already completed their 35 hours of periodic training and have a DQC, it means that 514,276 (69 per cent) of active drivers are qualified to drive come September 2014. It also means that 235,000 individuals (31 per cent) still need to complete their training.
    
A late flurry of drivers seeking courses may make it difficult to find the right course, while fees are likely to increase so operators would be well advised to take action at the earliest opportunity.
    
It remains to be seen how many LGV drivers will decide not to complete their CPC and, therefore leave their commercial vehicle role. It is interesting to compare the situation to what happened in the PTV industry, which faced its deadline last year. Whilst the DCPC legislation and the associated extra costs were not welcomed by the bus and coach sector, a five year lead in period and ‘light touch’ approval process, meant that the majority of operators and drivers were aware of the requirements and could plan accordingly.
    
The majority of companies have used the training opportunity positively to improve customer service, safety and genuinely embraced ‘professionalising’ the driver workforce. Similarly, drivers who had held licences for a long time welcomed the recognition of their profession. In the months leading up to implementation, there were a few commentators predicting a shortage of drivers on ‘school services’ and a mass exodus of drivers who were not prepared to obtain a DQC, this has proved to be largely unfounded.

Getting the word out
There is still a need to keep clear information flowing about the continuous nature of CPC and the need for a DQC for newly qualified PTV drivers or those returning to the profession after a break. Recent years have seen increased diversification in the PTV driver population, with female driver numbers doubling each year for the past three years, with clear benefits to the industry.
    
Returning to the logistics sector, the Looming Driver Shortage Report published by Skills for Logistics (SfL) in 2012 found that 16 per cent of LGV drivers – that’s over 48,000 drivers – were 60 or above. Worryingly for the future, only one per cent of employed drivers were under 25. These figures are vastly different to the economy wide demographics. Moreover, they imply that in the period up to 2017 we can reasonably expect 16 per cent of professional LGV drivers over 60 years to retire.
    
It has been further estimated that our sector will need 149,000 new drivers over a 10-year period leading up to 2020. So the need to attract new and young recruits to the sector is becoming more acute. If instead of further professionalising the industry, DCPC is in any way acting as disincentive to attracting new drivers – that is the last thing our sector needs.

Thinking long-term
We should now look beyond the September deadline at how we can improve the quality and learner journey of CPC. We should examine how we have done it in the UK and compare it with best practice in other countries. This is a European initiative so why not look at what other EU members are doing. For example, are online tools and in-cab learning good options? One good example of adding value is Driver First Assist – a first aid course accredited by JAUPT as part of the Driver CPC, which would certainly be a useful thing for drivers to have.
    
We must also look at the quality of Driver CPC training. JAUPT (Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training) has a significant part to play in ensuring compliance – looking after the regulation side of DCPC and legislative compliance, so that the content of the course meets requirements. But what about those trainers who wish to raise the bar – what does excellent training actually look like? It is unlikely to be a lecturer simply churning through 200 slides. I would rather that our drivers gain a good quality DCPC. We should be looking at maximum flexibility and at formats that ensure quality. Can this be better achieved by a genuine learning experience rather than enduring a marathon seven hour session?
    
SfL in its role of supporting the Logistics Sector to become better and more productive is seeking ways by which it can more actively provide employers and individuals with clearer visibility of excellent DCPC training.
    
Bringing experience to the table
There is a gap to fill to give visibility to the market that a trainer with 15 years’ experience in their trade and competence in technical skills is not simply meeting a nominal standard of good training practice but is excellent in the teaching of those skills.
    
Skills for Logistics is stepping into the quality custodian role to develop an endorsement for Driver CPC training providers to be operational this summer. It is calling on training providers and employers to get in touch to help develop the system, which will ‘sharpen-up’ Driver CPC and make it more relevant to employers.
    
SfL’s expectations of a positive reaction from those striving to clearly demonstrate the excellence of their training to those who are seeking it has been fulfilled, judging by the response from the sector already.
    
Excellent training providers can expect to come through the standard showing their quality. The set of criteria for the assessment, which is currently being planned, will be based on high quality training and business benefit.
    
Skills for Logistics will maintain a live database of all endorsed training providers and of those who have had their endorsement removed by falling below the standard. A crucial part of the process will be a programme of unannounced audits and ‘secret trainees’ to ensure the standard is maintained during the 3-5 year period between assessments.
    
Training providers can use the endorsement ‘kite mark’ in their marketing. It will be a market sign informing employers where to find good Driver CPC and will give the opportunity to benchmark training providers.
    
Looking ahead, the scheme could be deployed on an EU-wide basis enhanced, for example, with language skills to make it relevant for UK drivers. This will further increase the pool of drivers with excellent quality CPC for employers.
    
This will not be a mandatory scheme but we know there are many training providers who would like to compete on quality, and that there are employers and individuals who want visibility of the standard of DCPC they are receiving or employing.

We expect a significant number of the 1,400 approved DCPC training centres to engage with the process, to see how they measure up against others, and to gain the opportunity to examine how to improve their service, in addition to marketing their quality. While JAUPT recognises you as being legal, Skills for Logistics will endorse you as being excellent. It is a similar situation to a restaurant that may wish to go beyond gaining their essential Food Standards Agency compliance to voluntarily strive for a Michelin star as a measure of just how good their food is. There is clearly a demand for similar visibility for DCPC training quality in our sector.

An informed decision
I believe in skills as an investment and that Driver CPC, if delivered well, can be a significant benefit to businesses. This endorsement scheme fits right in with Skills for Logistics’ ‘Attract, Develop, Support’ role and will benefit the Logistics Sector by addressing its concerns about how we raise the quality of Driver CPC.
    
We will be engaging with other sectors that have similar quality systems and we have already started working with training providers and employers to establish the metric that will help training providers offer training that is good in terms of business benefit. Ultimately, the scheme will help excellent training providers show off their wares and help others to improve the service that they offer. Employers, meanwhile, will be able to make an informed decision about the DCPC solutions on offer.
    
Skills for Logistics would like to hear from Driver CPC training providers who wish to be in first tranche to go through the assessment and would also like to hear from employers who want to help develop the standard. You can get in touch via our website.

For more information
www.skillsforlogistics.org