London, UK: The Driver Academy Group reports record applications from underrepresented groups for its HGV driving courses.
Thousands of women, younger people and those from ethnic minority groups have applied to become drivers.
The Driver Academy Group, that comprises Manpower, Logistics UK, and HGVC, provides government-funded HGV driver training courses.
The Driver Academy has received 589 applications from women, 7% of the total since starting the scheme in December. This proportion is significantly more than the 1% of women who are currently HGV drivers in the UK.
The group has also received more than 2,000 applications from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority groups, nearly a quarter of the total. Currently, just 4% of HGV drivers are from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
More than a third of applicants are under the age of 36. This is a significant step forward when the average age of an HGV driver today is around 50.
Overall, the Driver Academy Group has received more than 8,300 applications for its HGV driver training schemes as part of the government’s Skills Bootcamps.
James Clifford, chief executive, HGVC, said: “One of our aims on winning the government contract was to ensure our HGV driver training schemes were appealing to underrepresented groups. So, the fact that so many women, those from ethnically diverse backgrounds and younger people have applied demonstrates the appeal of the industry together with the Government-funded Skills Bootcamps.
“We will now be working hard to get these people onto the right training scheme for them and into an interview with a local employer. In doing so, we hope that we can make HGV driving more appealing to a broader range of people.”
