Achieving Milestones for the Industry – January 2010 Update
The BC Trucking Human Resources Planning Committee received provisional approval from the Industry Training Authority (ITA) in late June 2008 to undertake the pilot project for its proposed professional driver training standard. The BC Professional (Truck) Driver Training pilot project is slated to take place in mid-April 2010. ITA will then evaluate the project to review and make any necessary adjustments to the proposed standard prior to final approval. The training standard involves eight weeks of classroom and practical training to obtain a Class 1 licence, followed by four weeks of on-the-job training under a qualified coach, who is also an experienced professional driver. Trainees would achieve professional driver certification after a qualified coach confirms that they have mastered basic skills, passed a written final exam and successfully completed a road test.
The proposal outlines that candidates who are accepted into the training program will have to pass a medical exam (a legal requirement to obtain a Class 1 licence) and an industry-specific literacy and numeracy test, as well as obtain a Class 1 learner’s licence.
If the pilot test succeeds and ITA approves this industry-supported driver training standard, authorized training schools and institutions throughout the province can provide related programs. Importantly, trainees and schools meeting the ITA-certified program standard would have access to training funding. Employers who participate in training would also quality for employer tax credits.
Establishing an industry-supported training standard that delivers job-ready candidates is more important than ever. A trucking Employer Survey Report involving 413 companies, conducted in February 2008 by Ference Weicker and Company, confirmed that the shortage of qualified drivers is an ongoing concern. Here is a synopsis of the report’s major findings:
- 70 percent of the companies hired at least one Class 1 driver over the past 12 months, but 38 percent of the companies would have hired even more drivers over the same period if they had been available.
- Almost 50 percent of the companies would hire or contract with additional Class 1 drivers on a full-time basis right now if they were available.
- Over 70 percent of the companies expect to hire or contract with Class 1 drivers on a full-time basis over the next 12 months (an average of 4.9 drivers per company).
The industry survey also endorsed the view that training offerings need to be improved. Specific recommendations include:
- extending the length and scope of training;
- placing increased focus on road safety;
- placing increased focus on technical skills training; and
- increasing access for trainees to practical experience while working.
The survey also revealed significant shortages in other occupations like dispatch and operations, fleet maintenance, and dock and warehouse operations. Of these, the toughest positions to fill are for heavy-duty and general mechanics.
The Planning Committee will update the BC Trucking Industry Strategic HR Plan based on the new information from the employer survey.
For complete details on the pilot project, click here.
To view previous updates on the status of HR planning for the trucking industry, click here.