DCPC one year on: navel gazing not an option, warns FTA

One year on since the introduction of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) and FTA has warned industry that a failure to grasp the nettle of mandatory training sooner rather than later could leave operators exposed to poor quality training provision as demand begins to overtake supply.

Nic Allen, FTA's GM of Training, said: “DCPC will help professionalise the industry, improve road safety and attract the next generation of drivers into an industry where a skills shortage is a real possibility. The varied and high-quality modules on offer can add real value to a company, be it on the bottom line or in terms of its image and reputation. But to extract the greatest value from DCPC, companies need to act now.

“A dearth of good training providers and a finite number of places is a cause for concern for many operators. And there's a real risk that by 2014 the demand for Driver CPC training will outstrip the capacity of high-quality training options to provide the measured service that the industry should expect. It needn't be this way; companies that do find a reliable and reputable training organisation and plan for a five-year programme of training now are giving themselves a real edge over the unprepared.”

FTA recently launched a pilot scheme to remove some of the hassle and disruption caused by sending drivers to distant training venues. The DCPC Community will see selected FTA members host training modules at their own premises and delivered by the FTA training team. Modules will be attended by the hosts' drivers with any additional spaces offered to companies that have expressed an interest in training at that location.

Allen concluded: “The Driver CPC Community pilot hopes to make the process of meeting one's training commitments easier and less disruptive; drivers won't have to be sent halfway across the country for the right course.”