LGV Training Funding for unemployed ?

Hi
I was hoping someone would know if there are any sources of funding for training costs for LGV (HGV) training. I am currently unemployed, and have been since August 2006 when I worked for six weeks only. Prior to that I was again unemployed back to September 2005. As I was previously self-employed as a driving instructor, I receive no benefits whatsoever (unless you count the child Tax credit and my wifes working tax credit), I cannot claim contibution based JSA as I had not paid the right sort of NI (as self-employed I was paying far more that when I was employed but get no benefits from it whatsoever - SCADALOUS) and because my wife works full time I cannot get income based JSA.
I want to train to do my LGV, apparently there is a shortage of Class 1 drivers! It looks as though current costs would be around £2,500 or so. Having just remortgaged based on my wife's income alone we are currently as close to bankruptcy as we wish to get, so a CDL is out of the question.
HELP
«134

Comments

  • Fair do's if it may cost you £2500 - but I got my Class 2 paid for as I was 23 at the time so got paid by the EU skills council. That would have been £850, Class 1 I did with the same instructor but private again £850. So just shy of £1700 for complete training. What you also need to pay out for is the medical and theroy as well :) Providing that you don't fail your test. You can't go into class 1 direct no more, so you will have to do the rigids first and then artics.

    And this "shortage" - yes, maybe so, but its a load of twaddle, even the agengies are now not recuiting new drivers - I have been out of a job since Mid Dec and I have class C and C+E and no one is touching anyone without the 2 years experience. Jan to Mar is the worse time to be out of work in the HGV sector (I know and going though it now!). so it will be a great struggle on wages like £5.50 per hour for the first 2 years.

    What you will also find that the cowboys will want you to run bent (until your clubed up on the law) so be careful and make sure you know the Working Time Div and Tacho Regs.

    Where abouts are you? as Grimsby Job Center offers something on the New Deal package (I think they pay for HGV training) I would go back to the Job Center and find out.

    Good Luck
  • Im in the same boat asked the job center to help they said they can on fund courses up to £300 tried getting a CDL loan from the bank but they turned me down i know some companys will pay for ur lgv the u will have to work for them for X amount of years Eddi Stobart is one company that dose it but every company has put it on hold at the moment !!! i call round the local copanys around somerset see if any 1 can help me but i never get any luck :-( i hate it my friend works for a local company and they have just got 8 new wagans in and need 8 new drivers to drive them so really if i had my class 1 i could be working TODAY !!! arrrrhhhh but if any 1 knows of any way i can get my class2 and 1 please please please let me know

    cheers all

    scottie davis in bridgwater somerset
  • graham57_2
    graham57_2 Posts: 1 Newbie
    edited 25 April 2010 at 9:36AM
    I feel sorry for those who wan`t to take up the skill of driving due to lack of funding, BUT!! I have an LGV Class 1 license and have driven for 12 years all over the uk. I am no longer doing it now, Why you ask, well when you drive a lorry believe me you get treated like dirt by the other road users namely car drivers, Verbal abuse and sometimes physical abuse threatened, Most car drivers don`t realise we are only doing our jobs, What they don`t seem to realise is that if there where no lorries around where would they buy thier goods, the shops would be empty, Britains lorry drivers are the backbone of this country and should be treated with respect for the hard job they do, I don`t want to put people off learning to drive LGV but think about it seriously first.

    I am currently looking for funding for an HIAB course I cannot get any help from the DWP with the cost of the course, Because i am on jobseekers allowance, But if i was on incapacity, Which means being incapable of working they would throw money at me, But i am capable of work and can`t get any help. I think this government should get thier act together It should be people who are capable of work should get the funding, Does anyone agree with this comment!!. Please let me know.
  • M1KE
    M1KE Posts: 11
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    edited 3 June 2010 at 3:07PM
    graham57 wrote: »
    I am currently looking for funding for an HIAB course I cannot get any help from the DWP with the cost of the course, Because i am on jobseekers allowance, But if i was on incapacity, Which means being incapable of working they would throw money at me, But i am capable of work and can`t get any help. I think this government should get thier act together It should be people who are capable of work should get the funding, Does anyone agree with this comment!!. Please let me know.

    I couldn't disagree anymore with what you have said just because a person is on incapacity doesn't mean that they are a cripple or that through time they aren't capable of holding down a full time job not all people on incapacity have long term illnesses or disabilities i am currently on incapacity, income support and disability and believe me the statement you make about the DWP throwing money towards those in reciept of incapacity benefits for funding etc is wrong i have asked on several occasions about training as i am more than capable and would prefer to be working rather than doing nothing and was told that they dont provide any form of funding or training for people on incapacity.

    I was handed a leaflet for ILA scotland which is funded by the government and is available to anyone who resides in scotland regardless if a person is on benefits or not as long as they earn less than 22,000 per year they are eligible to apply for a ILA account to help towards funding for training i was also told that if i was on jobseekers allowance for 6 months or more i would be entitled to training through a government scheme called new deal which is run by the DWP but because i am on incapacity i would not be eligible unless i went onto jobseekers allowance which in turn would mean signing on and more or less being harrassed into minimum wage employment basicly causing me to be finacially worse off than i would be now so really its a catch 22.

    The real problem is that the DWP spend a lot of money on people who have no intention of finding employment but instead accept these training courses set up through the DWP so they dont lose there entitlement to benefits meanwhile the people on jobseekers who want to work are left to deal with it on there own or wait 6 months in order to be offered some sort of training through new deal.
  • robredz
    robredz Posts: 1,602 Forumite
    M1KE wrote: »
    I couldn't disagree anymore with what you have said just because a person is on incapacity doesn't mean that they are a cripple or that through time they aren't capable of holding down a full time job not all people on incapacity have long term illnesses or disabilities

    The real problem is that the DWP spend a lot of money on people who have no intention of finding employment but instead accept these training courses set up through the DWP so they dont lose there entitlement to benefits meanwhile the people on jobseekers who want to work are left to deal with it on there own or wait 6 months in order to be offered some sort of training through new deal.

    Agree, problem is they refer you to Pathways, or some other A4E provider who basically tick boxes, and offer little more than basic courses, vis ECDL or "Computers don't Byte" courses aimed at novices to IT professionals, and basically if you are educated to HNC or beyond level, and need to retrain, you are stuffed.
  • Hammyman
    Hammyman Posts: 9,913 Forumite
    edited 3 June 2010 at 4:33PM
    Duzzee wrote: »
    I want to train to do my LGV, apparently there is a shortage of Class 1 drivers! It looks as though current costs would be around £2,500 or so. Having just remortgaged based on my wife's income alone we are currently as close to bankruptcy as we wish to get, so a CDL is out of the question.
    HELP

    Why does everyone think they can just get a licence and become a lorry driver?

    There aren't a shortage of Class 1 drivers or anything approaching a shortage. There are a couple of training companies advertising such but the reality is different. I bet they told you you could choose your own hours as well but forgot to mention the little fact that the industry average working week is 55 hrs and could be as much as 84, usually with a 4-6am start/finish time but just as easily you could be starting at 1-2am, leaving home before sun up on Monday morning and not getting back until late Friday night if you're lucky or Saturday night if you're not.

    10,000's of VERY EXPERIENCED drivers were laid off in the recession. Even when there was a shortage, it was nigh on impossible for drivers with no experience to get a job. Would you send someone out who had no experience with a fully loaded 44 tonne £100,000 lorry and load at up to £1m value?

    Your £2500 training is a bit optimistic too. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO it was £1500 per licence and you'll need to take two. The medical alone will be around £100.

    In addition to getting your licence, you will now have to do a Driver CPC course as well before you can be employed. That'll set you back up to another £1000.
  • Jo_F
    Jo_F Posts: 1,780
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    My other half has just gone through his, with the medical, hazard perception and theory tests, then the lessons, the tests and of course the use of the vehicle for the test he has spent £5,500 on it. (that included 2 fails and having to change driving schools just before his 2rd class 2 test), and the fails were unexpected as he has spent the last 6 years shunting wagons around.

    As he deals wtih a lot a trucking companies in his current job, I just asked him about the supposed shortage, and he says there is no shortage and the industry is expecting it to stay that way for around 5 years yet.
  • Hammyman
    Hammyman Posts: 9,913 Forumite
    I'd second that, Jo. A few years ago (4 or 5 if I remember), a Freight Transport Association survey put the average age of a lorry driver at 53. In 5 years time, a lot of lorry drivers will have or be close to retirement and many current drivers who don't have to take the Drivers CPC under grandfather rights will need to but with no certainty as to who will fund it.
  • M1KE
    M1KE Posts: 11
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Hammyman wrote: »
    Why does everyone think they can just get a licence and become a lorry driver?

    Its not that everyone thinks that, what people are asking about is some form of funding or training without the full cost some people are either on benefits or on low paid incomes or simply just want a change in career and cant afford over £2000.

    There is companies out there that will offer free LGV training with some form of written contract or reduced priced training there is 2 or 3 companies where i stay that offer training although not for free they do offer cheaper prices than a lot of places and also accept people on benefits which the government pay a percentage its even not unheard of for the DWP to have paid for the full course including medicals etc
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards