1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228 
Wm Armstrong
Page 59
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
it was the foot-and-mouth crisis in 2001 that inspired Longtown, Cumbria-based Wm Armstrong to think creatively in order to plug a skills gap.
"Livestock drivers were not just a rare breed, they were almost an endangered species," explains managing director Jaknifer Whyberd, who found herself battling against a chronic shortage of drivers following the epidemic.
We had to act quickly and creatively to increase driver numbers."
The family-owned haulage company turined to a local training company, System Grioup, to set up a transport apprenticeship scheme. Six young people were employed; within 18 months five of them were completing the foundation stage of their apprenticeship and were out on the road, driving trucks for the firm. The scheme has clearly been a success last year the company won the 'medium employer of the year' category in the national Apprenticeship Awards.
"The apprentices are highly motivated because most training is on the job," says training manager Steve Whyberd. "They start with forklift truck driving. At age 17 they take their car driving test and start local delivery work. At 18 they pass their test for rigid vehicles. Progression then is to the advanced apprenticeship, learning to drive our 44-tonne articulated vehicles. plus ti take the specialised qualification in livestock transportation. Armstrong is or of the few companies able to train and assess drivers for this."
Jennifer Whyberd adds: "I'm really prc that we haven't just survived the foot-anc mouth breakoutwe've come through ■■■ the business in a stronger position."