The government has launched its free courses to become a qualified HGV driver and get a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) to address the driver shortage. The courses are available across all regions of England and listed in 3 sections:
- new to HGV driving
- upgrade your current HGV licence
- return to HGV driving
You must be 19 years or over, live in England, have a full car licence or medium-sized vehicle licence and be available for work.
The New to HGV driving courses offering up to 16 weeks training will allow trainees to:
- Hold a rigid HGV (category C) – these are used for lots of commercial deliveries throughout the UK, some have loading access at the rear and sides as well as electronic tail lifts which makes them easier to load and unload.
- Hold an articulated lorry (category C+E) – these have 2 parts (the cab and the trailer the cab is pulling) and are mainly used in long-distance haulage or for the movement of large volumes of items as well as bulky or heavy goods.
The government have also introduced temporary visas for foreign drivers tow work in the UK. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“The government has worked tirelessly to tackle the driver shortage caused by coronavirus and years of undervalued wages. We have now introduced 32 actions to help get more HGV drivers on the road. It is good to see that these measures are clearly working, with the haulage industry reporting a significant increase in tests carried out and licenses issued. Now these training camps will provide a further boost for the sector as we work together towards its recovery.”
If you are interested or know someone who is, direct them to the government website or click here to find a list of skills bootcamps and their locations https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-a-skills-bootcamp/list-of-skills-bootcamps
