/ News / Opportunity for Lancashire residents to undertake HGV Skills Bootcamps and fast track into employment

Lancashire residents are being offered the opportunity to access free courses to train to be HGV drivers.

The HGV Skills Bootcamps are being funded by the Department of Education and are part of a package of measures to ease driver shortages, and support business and supply chains.

Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving are free, flexible, intensive courses designed to train drivers to be road ready and gain their licence, offering people the chance to fast track into well-paid careers in the logistics sector. People that successfully complete the HGV courses are guaranteed a job interview with an employer, and the first drivers are expected to be on the road from March 2022.

These courses are available for Lancashire adults aged over 19 who are new to HGV driving, as well as to businesses who would like to support existing drivers to refresh or upgrade their skills so they can get back on the road

The first intensive short courses in HGV driving are getting under way, helping to tackle skills shortages and support people to launch careers within the logistics sector.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi quoted “HGV drivers are vital to keeping this country moving. It’s brilliant to see the first people with their hands on the steering wheel as they head towards new well-paid careers in the industry. “

To help even more people get the training they need to be road ready, we’re expanding our HGV Skills Bootcamps to support up to 11,000 people to gain the skills they need to progress in the industry, and to help those with previous experience refresh their skills so they can get back on the road.”

Debbie Francis OBE, Chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership said ‘We are delighted that the government has expanded their investment in Skills Bootcamps to HGV driving, following the successful development and piloting of Digital Skills Bootcamps in Lancashire.  There are many businesses in Lancashire seeking to recruit qualified drivers to keep products flowing locally, nationally, and internationally.  We urge businesses to engage with the providers of the Skills Bootcamps and provide the guaranteed interviews, and for adults locally to take advantage of this great offer to fast track into driver roles.’

There are several partners delivering the HGV Skills Bootcamps across Lancashire and these are listed on the Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub website https://www.lancashireskillshub.co.uk/skillsbootcamps/

ENDS//

For Further information please see:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/training-and-more-testing-to-help-people-become-hgv-drivers

https://www.gov.uk/training-hgv/skills-bootcamps

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