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authorities volunteer to pay trainin
leviesby lain Sherriff
• Judging by the success of the Local Government Training Board, it seems that the Road Transport Industry Training Board might have had a smoother passage in life if those who paid levy did so on a voluntary basis. While the RTITB is frequently criticized by many of its compulsory members, the LGTB has recruited 90 per cent of all local authorities on a voluntary basis.
This week a spokesman for the LGTB said that the remaining 10 per cent consisted of small rural authorities in many ways similar to the owner-operators in the transport industry.
Those in scope with LGTB pay approximately £9 per man per annum, and training covers all aspects of local government operation.
Driver-training falls into a general category and grants for off-the-job training are paid on the basis of 35 per cent of the'. training fee; 75 per cent of travelling, accommodation and subsistence; and 25 per cent of wages paid while in training.
At present there are six driver-training centres for local government . employees; these centres are based at Manchester, Portsmouth, Monmouth, Glamorgan, Greenwich, and Bath. The Bath centre, known as the Four Counties Training Centre, covers Gloucester, Somerset, Dorset and Wilts. It offers instructor training not only for the four counties but for any local government wishing to avail itself the facilities. According to the LGTB spokesman, arrangements have just been concluded with the RTITB and the Department of Employment to use this training establishment as an extension of Motec and open its doors to those in scope of RTITB.
Driver-training establishments in local government are expected to increase considerably during the next few months. Plans are already in hand to institute a number of centres, similar to group training associations around the country. A further establishment similar to the Four Counties set-up is being considered for the South East of England.
In addition to these developments, other local authorities have the matter under serious consideration. According to one officer, very few councils should experience any real difficulty in establishing a training centre and at minimal cost.
The London Borough of Greenwich is utilizing a piece of land 300ft long by 60ft wide with a small section building as its office and classroom. It has one instructor and a Ford D800 as its instruction vehicle.
These facilities cater for two trainees per fortnight and to date the pass rate is 27 out of 31 men tested. The two-week course provides 60 per cent or 48 hours in-cab training and 40 per cent or 32 hours spent on theory.
The Greenwich instructor, Mr S. F. Priestly, had been a heavy goods vehicle driver for 22 years before attending the instructors' course at Bath, although he had some previous experience as an instructor of public service vehicle drivers.
Greenwich has found that there has been an increase in interest in the 'transport department by employees from other departments since the establishment of the training centre; and in addition the transport officer reports that the accident rate has dropped. It is estimated that driver-training costs approximately £60 per employee before deduction of LGTB grant.
The Greenwich training vehicle qualified for a 50 per cent grant on purchase price and the council estimates that it recoups 75 per cent of all of its training costs. Greenwich hopes that it may be able to accept trainees from other London boroughs as and when vacancies occur in its own training schedules.