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Welsh still waiting on training funds
Page 8
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FOCUS ON TRAINING
• by Emma Penny The failure of a Welsh national learning organisation to stump up the £250,000 it promised for training projects in Wales has been slammed by the industry's skills supremo.
Ian Hetherington, chief executive at the Road Haulage and Distribution Training Council, says the funds, designed to fulfil the Welsh Assembly's aim of a "safer, more efficient industry with a better-trained workforce", promised by Education and Learning Wales (ELWa) for the Road Haulage Modernisation Fund (RHMF) have yet to materialise.
"The industry appears to have been promised much and given nothing, yet this funding is vital to the whole of Wales, "Support for modernisation is not just important to the haulage industry, it is vital for the whole Welsh economy as it strives to meet ambitious targets for economic growth over the next few years," he adds.
The lack of funding will add to Welsh hauliers' mistrust of schemes involving government. A Commercial Motor survey (19-25 June) found that most did not believe that the government would deliver on its promises. However, in a statement to CM, a spokeswoman for ELWa says: "We guarantee that any eligible individual who is looking to undertake training on an approved framework in this sector will be placed onto a Modern Apprenticeship programme.
"We have also met with the RHDTC to explore other opportunities to develop the training sector for this vitally important industry, and are currently discussing different options with them," she says.
The RHMF in Wales is due to be launched this summer.
An initial £1.1m has been allocated for the fund for 2003/2004, and this may be extended to 2004/2005. • The first driver under 21 to pass his category C.E licence under new rules was celebrating his success last week.
Jonathan Hawkins. 20. who works for his father's firm, John Hawkins of Coleford in Gloucestershire, passed his test a month after the rules changed to allow younger people to drive artics. The new rules allow those in the Young LGV Driver Scheme to start training with artics six months after obtaining their category C licence, which it is possible to obtain by the time they are 18. The new regulations allow learners to gain a licence to drive an articulated truck by the time they are 19 under a supervised official training scheme.
Ian Hetherington, chief executive of the Road Haulage and Distribution Council, said that Jonathan was the first of many who would take advantage of the change in regulations, with 250-300 drivers under 21 now undergoing training.
He says: "Previously, people would wait until they were 21 before trying for the test, but there is no evidence that this made them a better driver. The crucial thing about this scheme that it is supervised."
Those outside supervised schemes still have to wait until they are 21 to take the C-1 test.