Logistics Routeway
Introduction
The Experience Booster is designed to produce new UK goods vehicle drivers who not only have an LGV licence, but also have the background knowledge and understanding that compensates for their lack of experience. To this end Skills for Logistics, working with and for employers in the road freight sector, has produced a development programme with rigorous quality standards built into it that will ensure consistency of delivery across Great Britain.
The scheme could be used in any circumstances where new drivers are trained from scratch. These could include:
- Jobcentre Plus programmes
- Apprenticeships
- Internal “Warehouse to Wheels” initiatives
- ESF programmes
- Offender re-settlement programmes
- Etc
The course
The structured programme covers all the necessary underpinning knowledge in aspects of LGV driving. Many of these elements a trainee would find impossible to cover in the conventional short course leading to licence acquisition. With Experience Booster the initial six-week training package combines classroom activities, work experience and hands-on practice to help them move from provisional to category C licence.
They then go on to gather specific evidence in all aspects of the work for additional assessments, which lead to the NVQ in Driving Goods Vehicles. It’s an integrated approach that fast tracks the experience to match the driving ability. For employers it’s a cost-effective way of getting all the skills the business needs in a much shorter timescale.
There are three key stages:
1. Engagement & Induction
2. Formal learnin
a) knowledge and awareness and theory test
b) practical LGV driver training and test
3. Work and assessment
Stages 1, 2b and 3 can be undergone by individuals; stage 2a works best in a group environment.
It is envisaged that if candidates leave the programme during stage 1, or during or at the end of stage 2a, only those fully able and committed to the programme will be left to complete stages 2b and 3.
In other words there are filters and dignified exit strategies built into the programme so that expensive resource (driver training and NVQ assessment) is not deployed on candidates unlikely, for whatever reason, to complete the scheme
The course is designed to last for six weeks and is a mixture of theory, practical and work based learning. During that time learners will be taught:
- Health and Safety Awareness
- Manual Handling techniques
- Pre driving vehicle checks
- Safe loading and unloading of vehicles
- Drivers hours and legal obligations
- Safety and security of themselves, their vehicle and its load
- Route planning
- Customer Service Awareness
- Looking after themselves with regard to health, diet and fatigue
- All aspects of driving a Large Goods Vehicle on public roads, including fuel efficient driving
- Manoeuvring the vehicle in confined spaces
- Employment responsibilities and rights
- An overview of the Logistics Industry and its importance to society
During the course of these six weeks they will also be prepared and entered for the following qualifications:
- Health & Safety Awareness Certificate
- Manual Handling Certificate
- Certificate in Adult Literacy
- Certificate in Adult Numeracy
- Driving Standards Agency Theory Test for drivers of Large Goods Vehicles
- Driving Standards Agency Practical category C Test for Large Goods Vehicles
Funding
Employers may be able to access funding through the local Learning & Skills Council. For more details on how to access funding, contact your local Approved Training Organisation. (List available from Skills for Logistics).
For details of Approved Training Providers please go to www.skillsforlogistics.org or call the Skills for Logistics Helpdesk on 0870 242 7314.
For more information, please contact Dionne Payne at skillsnortheast@onenortheast.co.uk
Experience Booster Leaflet [doc]
(1.63 MB)
