Former Military to Receive Driver CPC Training

Skills for Logistics recently announced a plan aimed at helping former armed forces members begin new careers as commercial drivers. The announcement outlined a new scheme that will see 100 former military personnel receive driver CPC training that meets all legal requirements of both UK and European law.

According to Commercial Motor, the individuals participating in the program will be former military drivers with some experience driving large vehicles. They will be put through typical practical skills training using a commercial vehicle that will allow them to learn everything necessary to become job ready. Commercial Motor says the drivers will also receive interview training to help them put the best foot forward when looking for work.

Skills for Logistics believe their new program is beneficial in two ways. First, it will help ease the shortage of HGV drivers around the country. That shortage is only expected to get worse when driver CPC requirements kick in for all HGV licence holders next year.

The second area of benefit is that the program shows the potential of former armed services personnel as a subset of the workforce. Most of them already have extensive training in one area or another, thus making them job ready with a minimal amount of additional training upon military discharge.

The intrinsic value of this workforce is easily seen in the Skills for Logistics plan. The scheme takes advantage of skills former military drivers already have by enhancing them with driver CPC training. In a very short amount of time, these workers can be earning pay cheques behind the wheels of commercial rigs.

We Can Help Too

The Skills for Logistics scheme is an excellent idea for both drivers and the industry. However, space is somewhat limited. That being the case, the HGV Training Centre wants you to know that we can help with driver CPC training as well. Preparing you to meet CPC requirements is just one of the services we offer individual drivers at more than 40 different training centres scattered around the country.

We also offer driver CPC training for fleet managers who have an entire group of drivers to keep track of. We work with some of the UK’s most well-known companies by providing them with the specific types of training their drivers need. We can help your company meet CPC requirements as well.

One final note comes by way of the CPC requirements for PCV drivers. Unlike HGV operators, those with PCV licenses must complete their driver CPC training by September of this year. If training is not completed, PCV licence holders will not be able to continue driving.

Whether you’re an individual PCV driver or a fleet manager, time is running out. If you have not yet started your CPC training, you need to do so as soon as possible or risk losing your ability to keep driving. Contact us at your earliest convenience so we can get you started right away.