Many employers seeking to recruit drivers of LGVs want people not just with an LGV licence but with experience and expertise relevant to their specific business. Possession of the appropriate LGV licence may be essential to gain such posts - but it may not be sufficient. An LGV licence does not bring with it, for example, a good working knowledge of how to load a lorry safely - or of how to operate a tachograph, knowledge which employers view as essential to do the job.
Experience Booster is a programme developed by Skills for Logistics in consultation with the logistics industry,as a way of bridging such gaps. It delivers the ‘extra’ driving-related skills & knowledge which employers seek.
What’s involved?
Experience Booster is a flexible way of delivering the skills & knowledge the driver and employer require, because it is ‘modular’ in structure. This means that:
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it consists of many different units; and
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a driver need take only those units required to become fully effective in their new job; BUT
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the various units may also form part of a structured development programme.
Completion of the Experience Booster programme typically involves assembling a ‘portfolio’ of evidence setting out what the driver has learnt in the classroom as well as the specific practical experience acquired.
The rate at which a particular driver progresses can be adjusted according to her/his individual abilities.
This flexibility also means that Experience Booster may:
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be a very thorough induction programme for driving LGVs;
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form part of an apprenticeship programme; or
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satisfy many of the requirements of a National/Scottish Vocational Qualification (N/SVQ) in Driving Goods Vehicles.
Experience Booster could also form part of a “warehouse to wheels” programme enabling career progression from a warehouse operative to an LGV driver.
Classroom session content:
The classroom sessions for Experience Booster consist of all or some of the following:
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Pre-driving vehicle checks
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Safe loading and unloading of vehicles
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Drivers’ hours and legal obligations
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Safety and security - of the driver, the vehicle and its load
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Route planning
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Customer service awareness
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How drivers need to look after themselves (regarding, for example, health, diet and fatigue)
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Driving an HGV on public roads – all aspects, including safe and fuel-efficient driving
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Manoeuvring the vehicle in confined spaces
Note: Health and safety awareness forms a key element of every session.
Funding
Employers may be able to access funding through the local Learning & Skills Council, if using the Experience Booster as part of a structured training programme.
Further Information
An experience booster factsheet is available for download in Adobe PDF.
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