Career opportunities

Specialist Skills Trainer

Specialist skills trainers deliver training to drivers to enhance their driving skills, or to help them learn to drive different vehicles.

Specialist trainers include instructors for Large Goods Vehicles (LGVs) and Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCVs), and trainers for advanced, fleet and emergency response driving.

Instructors and trainers are responsible for ensuring that their pupils or trainees develop the correct skills and also attitudes to driving. In the case of LGV and PCV instructors, and also for emergency service driver trainers, they also have to teach their trainees how to drive vehicles that may be much larger than they are used to.

In many cases, instructors and trainers prepare their pupils/trainees to take tests, which can include both theoretical knowledge and practical driving skills. They have to provide feedback on skills development and then have to assess whether or not their trainees are ready to take these tests.

Some instructors and trainers deliver training to individuals in intense blocks or courses. Others deliver regular lessons, using a similar approach to car driving instructors.

Instructors can earn from around £16000 a year, potentially reaching about £35000 a year with experience and added responsibilities.

Working environment

Trainers and instructors spend the majority of their time in a vehicle; they will mostly be sat in the passenger seat providing guidance to the driver. They may also spend time in a classroom setting, providing theoretical instruction to drivers.

Specialist skills trainers can be out in all weathers and driving conditions. Due to the nature of their work and the demand from clients, they may have to work evening and weekends. Most full time instructors will work between 35 and 40 hours a week, although it is not uncommon to work more than this.

Skills and interests

Specialist skills trainers need to be interested in working with people and helping them develop. They of course need an interest in driving as well.

Particular skills that are useful for instructors include:
- interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate and provide tactful feedback
- the ability to remain calm, and to concentrate for long periods of time
- an understanding of teaching and learning techniques
- organisational and planning skills.

Trainers and instructors need experience of driving in all types of conditions, and must also have an in-depth knowledge of road safety and regulations. Where instructors are providing training in particular vehicles, they should have experience (plus the relevant licence) of driving that vehicle.

Trainers and instructors should also have basic awareness of vehicle maintenance, as the vehicles that they use can be on the road for long periods of time. They need to be able to check for wear and tear and to make sure that their vehicles remain roadworthy.

Entry into the role

There are normally no formal academic requirements to become a specialist skills trainer, although trainers/instructors must have good skills in communication.

Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) and Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) driver trainers must have a valid licence to drive the vehicle that they are instructing in. PCV and LGV trainers can sign up to voluntary registration schemes. PCV trainers must complete an NVQ level 3 in driving instruction and LGV trainers must pass a three-part entrance test, which reviews theoretical and practical driving ability and also tests the trainer’s ability to deliver driving instruction. The schemes enable trainers/instructors to promote themselves and to prove that they have achieved a good standard in developing their training skills.

Instructors interested in becoming fleet driver trainers can take a course by a Driving Standards Agency accredited course provider, or can take a three part exam, which on successful completion allows them to sign up to the Fleet Driver Trainer register.

PCV, LGV and fleet driver trainers can be self-employed or sole operators delivering lessons to individual clients. They can also work for driving instruction companies, or be employed by organisations as an in-company instructor.

Emergency response driving trainers most usually have experience of driving emergency response vehicles before they move into instruction. They are employed by the police, fire and ambulance services and also by the armed forces.

Advanced driving trainers represent the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), and teach additional driving skills to motorcycle and car drivers. They are volunteers who have passed the IAM’s Advanced Driving Test and who then receive further training in order to become an observer for an IAM Advanced Driving group.

Vacancies for driver trainers can be found through driving instructor association websites and on individual company websites.

Opportunities

Specialist skills trainers/instructors can study for an NVQ level 3 in driving instruction (offered by Edexcel or EDI).

Other specialist skill certificates include:
- Fire/ambulance service instructor’s certificate
- Armed forces instructor’s certificate

Trainers/instructors can move into running their own businesses, and to recruit other instructors and trainers to work with them. They may also widen their remit to train drivers in more skills.

Useful links

• Driving Instructors Association
• Driving Standards Agency
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland

Case Studies

• DRIVER TRAINING - PCV driver training officer
  See an interview with a passenger carrying vehicle driver trainer, John Clavery
  View case study (external website)