Government Announces Temporary Visas, Increased Testing Capacity And Funded Courses

The Government has announced a package of measures to help strengthen transport logistics in the UK in the run-up to a busy Autumn and Winter period.

In a press release published on Gov UK, up to 4,000 extra training slots have been opened to allow new lorry drivers to launch careers within the busy logistics sector and help secure the industry in the long term.

As well as this, Ministry of Defence examiners have been drafted in to boost testing capacity over the next three months with the help of their specialist Defence Driving Examiners, which in combination with shorter skills boot camps could lead to thousands more trained drivers on the road.

Of the 4,000 extra new drivers, 3,000 of these will be part of what the government calls a “skills boot camp” which trains drivers to be road-ready, with a Category C or C&E license waiting at the end with the help of the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) offering tests at the end of the course.

Additionally, 1,000 people will be trained through the government’s adult education budget.

Along with this, the government also sent an open letter to roughly a million HGV drivers with the aim of encouraging them to return to their cabs.

The letter also includes other changes the road haulage sector has made to the industry, including fixed hours, flexible working and an increase in wages.

As well as this, 5,000 temporary visas have been offered to HGV drivers who want to work in the UK leading up to 24th December, with recruitment beginning in October.