In addition to the course cost you will be required to pay for your DVSA tests and your licence applications, whether it be green or pink (ADI or PDI). If you require the use of a specialist training vehicle for your test, there is a charge equivalent to 2.5 hours of the Trainers or Sponsors hourly rate. The charge includes the attendance of a trainer or sponsor who will be able to assist with any last-minute coaching.
Typical training sessions with mentor are 08:30 till 12:00 and 12:30 till 16:00 Monday to Friday, weekends and evenings are available upon request if needed for 2 trainee peer groups. However we try to be flexible where possible.
Your mentor should be recommending you take each test when they deem you are ready and should be consulted before you attempt one. If additional training is required then either work more with your peer partner or additional time can be paid for with your mentor at their one on one training rate.
The part one test can be taken multiple times as there is no limit, however you only have three attempts at part two and part three. If you fail the third attempt at part two or part three as per the DVSA regulations, you will have to wait two years from the date you passed part one and then restart the process with part one.
If you are matched with a sponsor, they will inevitably become your mentor after you qualify if you remain under their umbrella. In addition, Click Coaching will always be able to offer support throughout your career with ongoing CPD workshops, social media accounts and phone calls.
A pink trainee badge is there to help you gain experience of doing the job whilst still training to qualify. This is mis sold by many driving schools as an opportunity to start your career before you qualify properly. Whilst it is possible to make a full time income from being a trainee it would probably detract you from your own training objectives to do that which probably explains why most trainees fail to fully qualify. It also puts you under unnecessary pressure to pass which makes your motivation test focused.
In principle, you could qualify in several months however there are a few things to consider like, DVSA waiting times for test dates? Your previous experience in life, being a good driver doesn’t necessarily make you a good driver trainer!? Your commitment to training, are you working around training in another job? Your ability to learn and how motivated you are?
Honestly, the ADI register is starting to swell and we’re already seeing the bigger schools offering discounted rates to learner drivers to try and fill the diaries of their franchisees. Click Coaching is different, we are not a driving school who are intent on exploiting trainees and signing them up to long and expensive franchise agreements. We are a training provider that can facilitate sponsorship to support your training goals. Our vision is to train franchise free independent driving instructors. We genuinely want to bring the best people to our industry to make the industry better. The best instructors will always have full diaries and charge the highest rates in the area. Train with the best and become the best! In addition the DVSA are making it more difficult for existing ADI’s to pass the standards check, the result of this is that many senior instructors are leaving the industry or even failing to pass the 4 yearly standards check which removes them from the ADI register after 3 failed attempts.
This is an important question, despite the advice the big franchises will give you trainee instructors are not allowed to advertise themselves and are certainly not allowed to imply they are qualified driving instructors. They can however promote the sponsors business, it is the role of the sponsor to provide you with enough work to meet your financial needs whilst also ensuring it does not compromise your own training and development. Before matching you with a sponsor we would check that they can fulfil your expectations and needs to avoid any disappointment and misunderstanding. It’s important you understand what you get from your sponsorship fee before you agree to it.
Yes, probably as nearly all driving instructors in the UK are self-employed on a sole trader basis (don’t worry we can help you with this too) whether as an independent driving school or as part of a franchised national school they are generally trading as a sole trader.
As a driving instructor you are your own boss – you decide your own hours and how you wish to organise your diary to balance your work/life commitments. Make no bones about it, being a driving instructor can be tough, you’re likely to work long hours and have a large geographical area to start with especially if you are working around another job but we will help you understand how to get that work/life balance back as soon as possible once your business and reputation is established. Many instructors will tell you the flexible working hours are a real bonus to the job, I personally agree with this.
The DVSA sets the tests you need to take to become a driving instructor and yes you’ll need to be well prepared for them. Nationally only 24% of people who apply to become driving instructors actually qualify that means 76% fail to qualify. A national driving schools business model is about selling franchises so they’re primary concern is getting trainees to pass part 2 and then go on a pink license so they can pay them up to £300 a week on top of the training costs. This is the reason we actively encourage you not to go down the trainee license route unless we match you with a suitable sponsor that has your success as their primary motivation.
To become a driving instructor it takes hard work and commitment. But, with expert guidance, support, hard work and a can do attitude from you it can be done.
In short, you can work the hours you choose. However the higher your fixed costs, the more hours you’ll need to work to break even. Imagine having a franchise agreement for £300 a week this means you’ll be spending a full day in work each week to pay your franchise fees. The lower you can keep your costs and the higher you can make your hourly rate, the less you’ll need to work and the better your work/life balance will be.
Can I legally BECOME AN INSTRUCTOR?
The DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) require that anyone wishing to train as a driving instructor has no more than six penalty points on their licence, has held a valid full UK licence for at least two and half years, be at least 20.5 years old and meet all legal, physical and medical requirements. There’s a great eligibility checker here that will help https://www.gov.uk/become-a-driving-instructor once you’re satisfied you can become a driving instructor there’s a great suitability checker here https://www.safedrivingforlife.info/driving-instructor-suitability-assessment/
This is where some basic business training will help so that you understand how costs and overheads affect your profit. We offer a course that can help you with this along with ongoing support. Typically a driving instructor in the UK charges £35 an hour, if you work 40 hours a week that’ll give you an income of £1’400 per week less running costs.
Our courses are structured to provide you with 42 hours of in car training face to face with a mentor that you have met before starting the process. There is however no limit to the self training and role play you undertake with your peer partner and should you need additional training with your mentor, this will be charged accordingly. Please be aware that should you decide a trainee license is what you’d like there will be at least 20 additional hours to be taken as per DVSA requirements. Please be aware that many training providers will use online training sessions such as zoom within their training quota which is certainly not the same as you’ll be in a virtual group with many candidates.
We offer an affordable payment plan to spread the cost of your training over a period of time with no obligation or encouragement to join a franchise during or after training.
There may be funding available from Job Centre Plus for the long term unemployed and there’s also funding in Wales from ReAct+ please follow the link:- https://workingwales.gov.wales/how-we-can-help/react-plus