The Driver Academy Group (DAG), a consortium led by HGV training specialist HGVC and comprising workforce solutions group Manpower and trade body Logistics UK, has won an extended contract with the Government’s Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving to train a further 600 drivers. The additional places are available for unemployed individuals or those looking to change careers across England.
The Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, enabling people to build sector-specific skills. First launched in December 2021, the programme was extended for 12 months in April.
HGVC has been awarded additional funding by the Department for Education (DfE) meaning the firm is now training more than 2,600 individuals over the next 12 months. HGVC has also helped train 1,200 individuals during the first wave of HGV Bootcamps last year.
With cost being one of the major barriers to entry into HGV Driver training, the DfE funding offers a lifeline for both individual candidates and employers dealing with budget constraints, given the cost-of-living crisis.
With the additional 600 places, HGVC will offer three fully funded courses. These include novice to Category C, Novice to Category C+E, and Novice to Category C or C+E plus a specialist licence such as the ADR, dangerous goods qualification.
Overall, HGVC will deliver nearly 1,500 fully funded courses, aimed at individual candidates. Qualified drivers are securing starting salaries of up to £40,000.
Within its existing extended contract, HGVC is also delivering 1,300 partially funded courses. These offer employers a 70% contribution to HGV driver training through the DfE funding.
James Clifford, CEO of HGVC, said: “Since early 2022, we have been helping deliver the Department for Education’s Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving. We’ve helped more than 1,400 trainees pass their theory and practical tests and get behind the wheel. It’s why the Department for Education has awarded us a contract to help train a further 609 individuals and continue to plug the driver shortage in the UK.
“The Government’s Skills Bootcamps have been hugely successful in helping get new HGV drivers behind the wheel. We know thousands of people in the UK want to become lorry drivers, and with this further funding, we’re confident we can train even more people and keep Britain moving.”
How to apply
The 609 further Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving places were available from on 1 October 2023. The scheme is open to anyone holding a driver’s license for over three years. The training courses are available at 60 locations across the country. Candidates can apply at www.hgv.academy
