Leicester taxi drivers to benefit from new driving course

A new NVQ course at Leicester College will help city-based taxi drivers to develop their skills on Disability Discrimination Act, personal safety, customer services and tourist information.

Leicester Shire Promotions has joined forces with key partner organisations to launch a new work-based pilot scheme for taxi drivers in Leicester. The National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 in Road Passenger Transport will help city-based taxi drivers to develop their skills and knowledge, and gain a nationally-recognised qualification.

Factors discussed on the six-month training course will include the Disability Discrimination Act, personal safety, customer services and the provision of tourist information on the city. Places on the course will be free to eligible drivers in the city. This qualification is equivalent to five GCSEs at grades A-C with no classroom study or examinations.

The course will be provided by Leicester College and will be funded by the Leicestershire Learning and Skills Council.

For more details on the courses, visit Leicestercollege.ac.uk.

Leicester Shire Promotions is a lead partner organisation the development of the project. Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicester Shire Promotions commented: “Taxi drivers are an integral part of the welcome service to which visitors to Leicester have access. We identified this particular opportunity at an early stage and have played a fundamental role in bringing together these key partner organisations to create a solution through the NVQ2 training.

“Participants in the course will broaden their skills base and in turn, this will help them to offer an enhanced service to their customers. As the course is free and no classroom study is required, taxi drivers taking part will find it a valuable investment of their time and effort,” continued Martin Peters.

Other partner organisations involved in the development of the pilot project include GoSkills – the Sector Skills Council for Passenger Transport, Rail Union Learning, Trades Union Congress and Leicester City Council.