When the UK went into lockdown during the COVID-19 crisis, it became clear that classroom training for drivers wouldn’t be viable for some time.Yet, many fleet operators needed to continue providing vital services to the public. To ensure that Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) training was still an option for our customers, and contribute to keeping key workers safe on the road, we converted four of our DVSA-approved DCPC training courses to webinars.

The AA quickly saw an opportunity to put 150 of their recovery drivers through essential training at a time when they had the flexibility to do so by using online courses. Drivers of recovery vehicles and other LGVs (Large Goods Vehicles) and PCVs (Passenger Carrying Vehicles) must complete ongoing Driver CPC training to maintain their licences, as well as to develop their skills.

We make our Driver CPC workshops fun and interactive, so that the training is engaging and informative rather than an obligation. Moving workshops online would impact the way we worked with drivers, so we had to think of ways to allow drivers to share their experiences and learn from others, under guidance from our experienced trainers.

Taking courses online and keeping them effective

We make our Driver CPC workshops fun and interactive, so that the training is engaging and informative rather than an obligation. Moving workshops online would impact the way
we worked with drivers, so we had to think of ways to allow drivers to share their experiences and learn from others, under guidance from our experienced trainers.

We adapted the courses so that we would interact with each attendee during the course and strike up conversations. We used smaller class sizes to make this easier for the attendees and set more group exercises – even replicating a gameshow format in the process. We also recommended doing one half of the course in the afternoon, and the second half the following morning, so that attendees could avoid screen fatigue and feel fresh.
We continually analysed the courses’ effectiveness, and adapted course content and flow to ensure it replicated as many of the face-to-face delivery benefits as possible. One of our courses were inspected by DVSA, who commented:

“Training was delivered remotely with the delivery method used by the trainer included the formal presentation, embedded videos, word search challenge, quizzes, activities, direct questioning, and discussions.

Happy drivers and operators

The drivers were very happy to complete Driver CPC training online, maintaining their licences and improving their skills at a time of national crisis. 100% of responses to our post-course survey said that the course met their needs and the trainer had an NPS rating of +87.5 (on a range from -100 to +100, this is classified as a ‘world class’ score in the NPS model).

One of the performance leaders in the team commented:

“I found the course content extremely relevant, informative and interesting. The trainer remained polite and professional throughout, keeping control and managing background noises well. I especially liked his approach to keeping each delegate engaged, and rather than the usual death by PowerPoint, it is more of a conversation, drawing from people’s knowledge and experience, reinforced with factual information.”

Our online provision also meant the AA could keep drivers compliant and engaged, ready for the changing demand. Dave Bevan, Driver Competence and Behaviour Manager, at the AA said:

“In these times, driver compliance and development remains crucial. Having seen the Drivetech online courses in action, I was delighted to see that the courses were engaging and interactive even when we aren’t all in the same room. Continuing with DVSA-compliant training and helping out our colleagues in these circumstances has been a real weight off my mind. The drivers loved it and the extra steps taken by Drivetech have been very much appreciated”.

 


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