Cash doldrums hit training scheme
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The Young Driver Training Scheme, once so eagerly sought by the industry and which began some two years ago, is in the doldrums.
The principal reason for this is the adverse economic position which is stopping operators from taking on expensive training, the Road Transport Industry Training Board told CM, this week.
Only 137 companies have registered with the Board to offer young driver training despite an initial grant to operators of £600 from the Training Services Agency and grant on the points system available from the RTITB.
About 60 per cent of these are small companies which have seized the opportunity to train young relatives for line management succession.
However, there are some very large companies such as the British Steel Corporation and Atlas Express which have agreed to participate in the scheme.
In spite of the participation of these larger companies, only 132 trainees have been placed out of a total of about 2,000 young people who have applied.
There are three or four registration applications still outstanding and one company was approved for training as last Friday.
The RTITB are negotiating with other training boards to participate in the scheme and the Food, Drink and Tobacco Training Board which already makes a grant to its member companies for driver training, is currently considering this.
But the chances of a young person being accepted at present for driver training are remote.