) rank Vos. managing director of
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Dutch transport training body Vakopleiding Transport en Logistiek, is happy to sum up what his organisation sets out to do: "In a nutshell we have to supply the road transport sector with qualified drivers." In theory, perhaps, not the most complicated of jobs. But this is Holland, where the driver recruitment process is very different from roo miles or so across the sea in the UK.
The comparison could not be starker With far less central support in the UK, more often than not it is up to the man in the street to train himself to drive an HGV. To the uninitiated it must be a daunting experience. Where should the prospective driver go to train? What about the expense? And, at the end of the training, is a new driver actually going to secure work? In short, the odds are stacked against our potential recruit.
Not so in Holland. As is common on the Continent, unions and businesses are in regular and amicable communication, allying to pave a way forward. Non-profit-making company Vakopleiding Transport en Logistiek — translated as "job training for transport and logistics"—is a prime example of this joining of forces. Here unions and hauliers ranging from own-account operators through to the fleet giants put their cash towards that most vital ingredient in the transport business: the driver "The system in Holland is that we have labour contracts between unions and the owners of the haulage companies. They put money together to invest in training," says Vos. In practice, that means that 25 million gilders a year—equivalent to nearly km—is available for transforming raw talent into skilled drivers.
European Union legislation dictates the standard HGV qualification age to be 21 Council Regulation No 382o/85, Article 5). But with a recognised Certificate of Professional Competence, drivers in the member states can get behind the wheel at 18. This is also the case in Britain, although it is discouraged. But there is a fundamental difference between Holland and Britain: the Dutch actively encourage driver training, and have the necessary centralised infrastructure in place_ Their British counterparts do not.
Efficiency
The headquarters of Vakopleiding Transport en Logistiek, in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn, 40lu-n south of Amsterdam, have an impressive atmosphere of efficiency about them. But you would probably take that for granted, given that this is the national hub which oversees the training of HGV drivers, coach drivers, inland waterway crew and aircraft cargo cargo loading staff.
The HGV training programme starts young, catering for r6-year-old school leavers. Liaison is crucial. "We work together with secondary schools across Holland," says Vos. "We organise a vocational training course for two years; one day a week is spent in college, the other four days in work." Students under r8 cannot drive a truck; instead training concentrates on non-driving jobs such as warehouse work, loading and unloading. At r8 HGV training can begin.
Importantly, students get the practical incentive of a realistic wage—and the haulier receives a subsidy from Vakopleiding Transport en J.ogistiek, helping him with the enrolled student's pay packet. At present Vakopleiding has a total of 4,000 students under its wing, 2,500 of them training to be HGV drivers.
But tuition is not restricted to driving, as Vos explains: "The training also involves driving rules and regulations, as well as social skills. We put a lot of emphasis on the way a driver behaves on the road,
and train students to drive economically and defensively. Students also learn about ADR, and are taught how to load up."
Vakopleiding owns zo HGVs, which shows commitment to offering hands-on experience, but you could argue that this fleet is modest for a national body with nationwide branches and 250 staff. However, the organisation also has 8o more HGVs at its disposal, which are hired from training schools. In any case, most of the vehicles are run by the training schools themselves. This is a crucial point. Vakopleiding's chief role is as overseer and theory instructor In practice, that means providing career guidance, information on HGV driving regulations, and organising work placements—essentially creating a framework for the student.
To get behind the wheel of an HGV, r8-yearold drivers with the CPC must then get their Dutch "C and C+E" licences, which they pay for themselves. This allows them to drive anything from a van to a 40-tonner. At 8,000 Dutch gilders--L2,2oo--the licence fee does seem substantial, but that is more than offset by the wider package offered by Vakopleiding, including free training and a decent wage.
Vakopleiding operates a state-of-the-art HGV simulator in Alphen aan den Rijn. CM took a look at the apparatus, managing to hear Vos over the noise of the operating legs: "This is our first simulator, and we are planning more in the future," he reports. It is an impressive piece of technical wizardry.
Shortage
In Vos's airy office, we talk about the wider picture. The Dutch have suffered from a shortage of HGV drivers in the last few years, he says. But it is a question of degree. True, there may be insufficient drivers; but Vos believes that without a centralised training body like Vakopleiding the situation would be far more serious: "We know that training people is not the onus of transport companies. If we did not stimulate training the quality levels of drivers would be lower than they are now. In Holland we also believe that it is beneficial to promote training and also that hauliers and unions should work together."
The haulier-union relationship is cordial, but Vakopleiding also has a regular dialogue with the Dutch government. This means that any new legislation automatically filters through to the student. Conversely, Vakopleiding can report back to the government, keeping it abreast of how the legislation is affecting the situation on the ground. A similar relationship in Britain could pay dividends.
Training is of great importance in Vakopleiding, but the organisation is well aware that marketing is a vital part of the process. Image projection is crucial, and with good reason: failure to reach the man in the street, and indeed the operator, equates to lower HGV student enrolment rates. "Hauliers know us, and anyone can soon get in touch with us," says Vos. "We spend a lot of money on promoting ourselves; we advertise on radio, use posters, and visit job markets (generally known as career fairs in the UK) and schools."
The net result is a national institution, recognised by the general public. But it is not just a question or getting the message across—it has to be the right message. "We
find that young people look at the image of a profession. But nobody wants to be identified with the traditional truck driver anymore," By "traditional truck driver" Vos means the "beer-belly" stereotypes that still persist on both sides of the North Sea.
Message
Vakopleiding sets out to get a different image across: that of the astute transport professional. It appears to be working. "Student numbers are remaining at the same level, despite the fact that the number of youngsters in Holland is dropping," Vos reports. Significantly, other social factors can influence interest levels in HGV driving. Vos says that drivers' strikes in France three years ago damaged the industry's image, with HGV applications in that country falling by 30%.
If evidence of Vakopleiding's success was needed, Eastern Europe provides it. In 1998 and 1999 Vakopleiding experts took their skills, and the entire training package, to Latvia. "There were some problems due to the effects of the old communist system. But it is working well now," says Vos. It shows that the entire programme can be adapted to other countries—this year Vakopleiding is exporting its expertise to Romania and the Czech Republic.
Vos stresses that the driver training programme is not restricted to youngsters: "There are also older people wanting a career change, or the unemployed." Older students undergo an intense training period of four months, and experienced HGV drivers also make use of the Vakopleiding programme to brush up on their skills.
The role of Vakopleiding is clearly invaluable in Holland, but the company receives no subsidy from its government. Such financial support is unnecessary because the unions and hauliers come up with the necessary funds between them.
So does Vos believe that a similar national training organisation could successfully operate in Britain? He declines to go into detail because, he says, his knowledge of the UK haulage industry is not extensive enough. But he does make a telling comment about the recipe for success: "It all depends on how the unions and haulage companies get on together."