Combining learning and training
Training will be available through apprenticeships and commercial courses, combining learning at NC4L with specialist practical driver training delivered by SP Training.
The aim is not simply to get more drivers through their HGV test. The Academy will prepare students for long-term careers in the industry, with opportunities to progress from driving into areas such as fleet planning, supervision and management.
David Cormack, Head of School at the National College for Logistics, said:
“We are very proud to launch our first Driver Academy, bringing together NC4L’s employer relationships and expertise with SP Training’s nationally recognised specialist driver training. We want driving to be a gateway into a profession with clear, lifelong career opportunities, from specialist driving and fleet planning to warehouse operations, management and leadership.
“Together, we’re creating a national engine for skills, innovation, and opportunity that will drive the sector forward for decades to come”.
Robin Brown, Chairman at SP Training added:
“This partnership brings together the strengths of both organisations and means we can respond to what employers are telling us they need, particularly when it comes to finding skilled drivers.
“It also gives people access to the training they need and the opportunity to progress through different programmes as their career develops. I think it’s a great partnership and one that can make a real difference to both individuals and employers.”
During the launch, Alex Mayer MP got behind the wheel of an HGV and found out more about the training that will be delivered through the new Academy.
She said:
“Whether it’s apples or books, clothes or detergent, most of us don’t stop to think about how products get from A to B, that’s unless something goes wrong and you’re faced with empty shelves.
“It’s great that Leighton Buzzard is leading the way in tackling the long-term challenge of how to recruit more people into an important industry that drives both the local and national economy forward.”
Guests also toured the National College for Logistics and visited its AI Apprenticeship Unit, where students explore how artificial intelligence can be used in day-to-day logistics, including route planning, forecasting, stock management and workforce planning.
The launch concluded with a roundtable discussion bringing employers and partners together to discuss the challenges facing the sector and the skills it will need in the future.
Employer involvement will be key to the Driver Academy. NC4L already has a strategic partnership with GXO and previously delivered a Skills Bootcamp project to support its recruitment. GXO, which recruited more than 12,000 new colleagues nationally last year, is now in discussions with NC4L about supporting its ongoing LGV driver requirements.
The Driver Academy forms part of NC4L’s wider work with employers to develop the skilled workforce the logistics industry needs, while creating a clear route into professional driving and opportunities for people to progress throughout their careers.
Find out more
To find out more about the National College for Logistics, visit https://bedfordcollegegroup.ac.uk/colleges-and-campuses/national-college-for-logistics/
