Young driver's training scheme controversy
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LACK of publicity has meant that the young driver's training scheme is not attracting the numbers of companies or trainees that were envisaged, says URTU general secretary Mr Jackson Moore.
Speaking at the Tipper Convention at the weekend he told delegates that the scheme had filled only half of the 100 places that it had expected to fill by now.
"We must expect problems in the first year," Mr Moore told CM. "But getting the information about the scheme to individuals was not tackled as forcefully as it might have been.
"The tipper convention did not know about the scheme. The problem was that it took three years to get off the ground and then it got started at a time of recession:—but we are looking to itoto build up quite rapidly.
"The problem is that there is no money for publicity; the scheme is relying on fees from members. Once knowledge of the scheme gets around then it will be all right," said Mr Moore.
But the RTITB's hgv training officer Mr Gordon Astbury thought the scheme was doing well: "We have exceeded the expectations of some people. The course was introduced at a time when people are planning for the future.
"Things are looking good for the future, we haven't had as many snags as we expected," said Mr Astbury.
The scheme has 59 registered trainees with another 23 awaiting registration. But Mr Astbury said that there was an unlimited number of places on the scheme, and it all depended on the number of companies prepared to have young drivers under training.
Added Mr Astbury: "I don't think the National Joint Training Committee would have wanted us to expand any faster. We got off to a slow start, but that was how things were planned to go."