Telephone 01543 270270
A Government initiative to fund training for HGV drivers has been extended to help rectify the driver shortage.
A government scheme to train up new HGV drivers, fill vacancies and help the UK driver shortage has been extended to February 2026. The capacity has been increased to create up to 11,000 HGV driver training places, backed by £34 million in funding.
The Government Skills Bootcamp in HGV Driving is a part of the UK government’s initiative to address the shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers. The courses are free to enter and last up to 16 weeks. They are open to individuals who are 19 or older and have a full car (category B) driving licence.
The courses cover all costs for getting a provisional licence, including medical exams, taking each of the 4 Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) tests, and one re-sit per test. Students who successfully complete the course are guaranteed a job interview with a local employer.
This initiative is aimed at helping new drivers enter the industry, supporting existing drivers to return, and enabling drivers to upgrade their licences or qualifications1. It’s a significant move to tackle skills shortages and support more people to launch new careers within the logistics sector.
Training provider HGVC said the scheme had made a big difference to the driver shortage and the firm has now been given the maximum possible allocation of £10m to train a further 1,828 candidates over the next two years.
The firm will focus solely on supporting employers looking to upskill their staff, either by gaining their category C and category C+E licences, or by helping those already holding a category C licence upgrade to C+E.
Since April 2023, more than 7% of HGVC’s trainees have been women, significantly more than the 1% of women who are HGV drivers in the UK.
In addition, more than 25% of trainees have been black, Asian, or from other ethnically diverse groups; currently, just 4% of HGV drivers are from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
James Clifford, chief executive of HGVC, said: “This is a hugely positive initiative that the government is undertaking and something that we are proud to again be a part of. The Skills Bootcamps have made a big difference to the driver shortage, yet there’s more that needs to be done. This is a long-term issue that requires an equally long-term solution.”
Another company making use of the funding is Wrexham-based Dulson Training which has become a prime Skills Bootcamp provider for 2024 and 2025. Their managing director, Steve Dulson, says:
“We are hitting the ground running, starting to enrol learners and are already engaging with employers who have vacancies to fill or staff to upskill. Although the shortage has eased in the last 12 months, it is predicted that it will start to spike again, and within a few years or even months we will have the driver shortages that we witnessed after Covid.”
