The Training Board offers to help solve growing driver redundancy problem
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• Unemployment figures in the road haulage industry are likely to exceed 41,000 when this week's 800,000 national total is analyzed. This is the opinion of the Department of Employment which will be producing a breakdown of the total shortly. According to a Road Haulage Association spokesman, most of the drivers involved will come from the 'lower licence classes. He said that there was still a shortage of Class 2 drivers and an acute shortage of Class 1 drivers.
CM contacted the Road Transport Industry Training Board to inquire if anything might be done to absorb some of the redundant workers, from either the transport industry or other industries, in a training programme. The RTITB came back immediately with an offer and proposals.
The Board confirms that it has the power, and is prepared to set up, a training scheme to ensure the future supply of trained men for the industry. The 117 group training associations, says the Board, could be invited to make their spare capacity available for this purpose. It is estimated that there are 700 training places available at GTAs and perhaps one-third of these are unoccupied each week.
The Board confirmed that already GTAs were taking in redundant men for Class 1 training but these were only isolated cases. The Board spokesman said that much needed to be done and could be done.
Looking at the unemployment situation, he said, the Government might consider that this required special treatment and would therefore be prepared to make a cash grant. There is a precedent for this in that one training board is understood to have been granted £2m to assist in the retraining of its redundant personnel.
If the problem were to be considered purely as a transport one, then the industry might feel disposed to provide additional finance for retraining. The RTITB has said that it will be ready to act as an employment agency for the industry should it be so required.
The training board spokesman said "The Board is well aware of the gravity of the situation and is prepared to do all in its power to help; it suggests that an early meeting of interested parties is desirable".
The Department of Employment said that it anticipated that less than 1000 bus drivers would be redundant but about 3000 vacancies exist at the moment for holders of PSV driving licences.