New training to attract, retain good staff

TWO NEW TRAINING programmes will help upskill truck drivers and others looking for careers in road freight transport, Road Transport Forum chief executive Nick Leggett believes.

The New Zealand Certificate in Commercial Road Transport Skills (Level 3) and the NZ Certificate in Commercial Road Transport (Heavy Vehicle Operator – Level 3), are available this year.

“Trucking is an industry where on-the-job training and assessment is particularly relevant,” Leggett says.

“Getting a heavy transport licence is just the start of it – there are lots of other things drivers and other employees need to know to ensure a long, safe career in road freight transport.

“It is increasingly important to offer career pathways, via training and opportunities to upskill, and to encourage good employees to move across different parts of the industry, if that is what will keep them. That’s the way we’ll attract new and diverse talent – and keep that talent.

“We have an ageing workforce, with an average driver age of 54, and what worked 20 years ago is no longer relevant to younger people in the job market.

“Our industry needs to be responsive and offer both training and career pathways if we want to make an impact on driver shortages. These are times where industry estimates a 4000 shortfall in available drivers.

“Industry has worked with MITO on a targeted review of qualifications, with some RTF funding and input from businesses with specialist knowledge and experience in training.

“We’ve ended up with recognised qualifications for the road transport sector that span natural career progression – from new entrants to managerial and senior qualifications, from level 2 to level 5,” Leggett adds.

“The RTF is working on a cadetship programme to be launched this year to incorporate and build on the existing qualification framework and to provide employers with another tool to attract and retain good staff.”

More information on the new courses is available on the MITO website.

T&D