HGVC has secured £10m in extra Government funding “to train thousands more HGV drivers.”
Securing a lead role in the Government’s Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving, HGV training specialist HGVC has nearly 1,900 places available to train up HGV drivers over the next two years. This means that firms can now access up to 90% subsidy to upskill existing employees to become HGV drivers.
The HGV Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills. First launched in December 2021, the Government has committed a further £50m until February 2026.
HGVC – which has worked with merchant firms such as MKM and Travis Perkins – will focus on supporting employers looking to upskill existing staff, via three pathways: helping novice drivers gain their Category C (rigid lorry) licence, a Category C+E (articulated lorry) licence or helping those with a Category C licence upgrade to a Category C + E.
The DfE funding is said to offer a lifeline for firms large and small dealing with budget constraints. For organisations with more than 250 employees, the DfE will fund 70% of the HGV driver training programme. For those with fewer than 250 employees, the DfE will fund 90% of the course cost. Employers will fund the remainder.
James Clifford, CEO of HGVC, said: “For construction firms, this is a major opportunity to upskill their staff with a significant subsidy from the Government. We’ve had great success over the past two years working with construction firms across England and we’re looking forward to continuing to do so. With this funding, we can get even more drivers behind the wheel and keep Britain moving.”
How to apply
HGVC’s scheme is open to any construction firm looking to upskill its existing staff. The training courses are available at 60 locations across the country and employers can apply via www.hgvc.co.uk/bootcamp.
Founded in 2012, HGVC is now a leading provider of commercial vehicle training in the UK, delivering over 12,000 courses over the past five years. From initial checks and on-boarding, to preparing training summaries with results, analysis and recommendations for improvements, HGVC says it “transforms driver training programmes” across a variety of sectors.
The business now has a network of training centres across the UK, offering courses for every licence category in the UK, along with driver CPC, HIAB, ADR, and forklift courses.
