Job market information
Finding out about driver training
The driver training industry is represented by People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism. The passenger transport sector incorporates rail, aviation, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, light rail and metro, driver training, and UK waterways. The sector accounts for 735,000 jobs, most of which are within the bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, and aviation industries. The passenger transport sector includes a wide variety of roles, from pilots and transport planners, to essential support roles in finance, marketing and human resources.
The driver training industry comprises people who provide any form of driver instruction, including learner drivers and those learning to drive buses, coaches and large goods vehicles. Other driver trainers teach specialist skills, such as advanced driving or emergency response driving. The industry also incorporates driving examiners.
Key facts:
- There are almost 43,000 people working in the driver training industry.
- The industry is made‐up of a large number of sole operators and self‐employed workers (more than 75%).
- The average age of employees is 47 years.
- Due to experience and licensing requirements, only 2% of driver trainers are under the age of 25 years.
- There are limited opportunities for progression within the industry.
- The average number of working hours is 37 per week, but this variable for sole traders.
Jobs in the industry include: driving instructor, advanced driving instructor, driving examiner, motorcycle instructor, specialist skills trainer.
Entry and progression
Car and motorcycle instructors must undergo training to qualify as an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) and need to have held a UK driving licence for at least four years. Driver training requires specific skills, such as the ability to deal with a variety of people and to understand how they might learn. Most driver trainers start out as car or motorcycle driving instructors and enter training to become an approved driving instructor. It can take up to 3 years to become an approved driving instructor.
Driving examiners can enter the industry with no specific qualifications, and do not need to have worked as an instructor. Examiners need sound judgement as they are required to assess people often under quite stressful situations.
To train people to drive buses, coaches, large good vehicles and emergency vehicles, trainers usually need to have worked within the relevant industry beforehand. It is essential for trainers to have the appropriate driving skills and experience to be able to pass instruction on to others. These trainers will also require a relevant licence for the vehicle they are working in (for instance, a category D licence for passenger carrying vehicles).
There are limited opportunities for progression within the industry, but trainers can expand their remit to other driving skills or to offer advanced skill lessons.
There are a range of industry endorsed courses, training schemes and vocational qualifications in Driving Instruction.
For job specific entry requirements, take a look at our job profiles.
Workforce statistics
| Number of UK employees: |
43,000 |
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| Number of UK employers: |
33,000 |
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| Gender: |
34% of driving trainers are female. |
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| Age: |
2% of driver trainers are under the age of 25 years, due to experience and licensing requirements. |
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Employment trends and future prospects
The driver training industry is a steady employer with similar numbers of instructors in operation each year.
Skill requirements and shortages
The main skills gaps in the industry are:
- Foreign languages (27% of companies)
- Disability awareness (19%)
- Job related IT (16%)
Other skills that are valued in the industry include: communication and customer service; teaching and interpersonal interaction; ‐ organisational skills; and driving skills.
Occupational trends
It is difficult to estimate total numbers employed as driver trainers, as only car and motorcycle instructors are required to register to operate and some who are registered may not be in work.
National and regional data
[N.B. Regional data presented are for the driver training industry and the passenger transport sector as a whole. Data derived from the Labour Force Survey, 2007.]
East Midlands – There are 4,400 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 14% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26‐49 years and 32% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; job related IT; and safety/accident management.
East of England – There are 6,600 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 9% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 52% is 26‐49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.
London – There are 4,200 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 20% of the workforce in the region is female. 42% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 70% is 26‐49 years and 26% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; safety/accident management; booking operations; and logistics and scheduling of services.
North East – There are 1,100 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 17% of the workforce in the region is female. 3% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 51% is 26‐49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; and safety/accident management.
North West – There are 4,200 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 61% is 26‐49 years and 33% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; disability awareness; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.
South East – There are 4,900 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 11% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 48% is 26‐49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and job related IT.
South West – There are 3,400 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26‐49 years and 40% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.
West Midlands – There are 4,400 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 27% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 65% is 26‐49 years and 28% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; safety/accident management; foreign languages; maths/working with numbers; and disability awareness.
Yorkshire and the Humber – There are 4,000 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 13% of the workforce in the region is female. 18% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26‐49 years and 30% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; job related IT; and Welsh language.
Northern Ireland – There are 900 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 21% of the workforce in the region is female. Data are unavailable on the ethnicity of the workforce. 9% of the workforce is under 25 years, 74% is 26‐49 years and 17% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; safety/accident management; job related IT; and disability awareness.
Scotland – There are 2,300 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 2% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26‐49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and disability awareness.
Wales – There are 2,300 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 18% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 54% is 26‐49 years and 38% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: Welsh language; foreign languages; disability awareness; safety/accident management; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.
Salary levels
Pay scales in this industry are variable, so the following provides an indication of the average weekly gross pay of the current workforce:
- Driving instructor £432 per week
Career paths
Further sources
Produced Sept 2010, using GoSkills AACS LMI report (Jun 2010)
