Training to be a driving instructor or not?

Sarah W

sorry big scam tried it with me it was 5000 large then

desert camel

....i advise against it...honestly,forget about it....sadly your bf is correct..it all looks well and good on tv...but its not.....they will rip you off....your 3 grand out of pocket and your bf left you cos he was right and you took no notice..

keni

it sounds as though this job is not for you yet, even if the course is not a scam. a driving instructor needs to be someone who does not get excited or nervous. that is why they are often older people.

I do not think there is any career progression for a driving instructor. Perhaps examiner but that does not sound like fun.

Trevor h

isitme is right - the Instructor college is a rip off, and Red is their Driving School.
I am an ADI, my first contact was an introduction with the Instructor College. They said "the ADI License is a permit to print money, you will get invited to lots of parties, you only pay 10% tax and you must sign up now for an assessment drive"

I walked away and went to learn with someone else, who incidently were much cheaper and gave MUCH better Instruction.
My advice, keep well away from RED (by the way - earnings UPTO Â£30,000/year - you would have to charge an uncompetitive rate to do that or work every hour god sends, and don't forget to take off all your costs)

George A

If you want to become a driving instructor, talk to a few of the businesses around you and see what they recommend. Not sure since this is the UK, but possibly they could hire you and train you OJT (On the job) or they may be able to recommend a cheaper training course. If you must become an independent & don't work for a business that trains drivers, shop around and see if there are other schools or companies that can train you that can prove they are certified, accredited, reputable and cheaper.

I was a driver trainer in the states for a few years in the 1990's teaching people how to safely operate a semi pulling a 53' trailer. Like the one poster said to be a trainer you must be one that does not get excited. And the one thing you will need to do regardless if you are teaching a student to drive a 3000 pound car or an 80,000 pound commercial vehicle, is be able to stay calm and not get excited when things get a little dicey.

UCANTCME

Something looks too good to be true - don't be fooled as in life it usually is.

Learn to read between the lines of any advertising or sales talk.

Ivor B

Recession the first thing that goes are driving lessons. You would not be employed,but would be self employed.

Being a driving instructor is not for the faint hearted.My biggest moan is evening work and weekend work,that goes with the territory.You need to be patient,understanding,be able to give pupils training in all driving techniques from scratch if needed.Be able to identify analyse and correct driving faults. Good interpersonal skills are essential as you would train a variety of different types of people, many will require a different approach to how you teach them.

The advert on TV by the instructor training college mentions you can earn Â£30000 per year,they fail to mention if you have a franchise your costs for that will be approximately Â£200/week,fuel costs anywhere from Â£60 to Â£90/week dependant on the car you drive and how much work you do, that leaves about Â£15000 per year if you are lucky.

No holiday pay or pension so you need to take that into account as well.

Pass rates are low ,statistics by DSA show 6% of people that start the training actually become fully qualified.Some people can't get through the theory and hazard perception test for one reason or another.

Some people can't pass the driving test,they either don't do sufficient training or they just don't have the skills required to pass,your driving needs to be of a particularly high standard.(This is not a normal driving test)

Those who manage to pass the driving part of the test then go on in time to take the instructing test and many people fail on this part because of lack of teaching skills. You are only allowed to take the driving test and instructing test a maximum of 3 times.

To become established in this business takes approximately 2-3 years.

Assuming after what I have posted you still wish to train.I would look around for an Ordit approved trainer in your area that will train you on a pay as you go basis. Doing training on a pay as you go basis will possibly cost a little more than paying all the money up front,but it gives you flexibility in as much as if you get to a point where you feel you are not cut out for the job or you will not be able to reach your goal you will not have lost everything.Paying Â£3000 upfront to ITC or any other training establishment does not seem the sensible route as once you sign there is no way you would get your money back if you decided to stop the training and cancel your CONTRACT.

I wish you luck with your training if you decide to go ahead.

"isitme"

It's not a bad trade to be in, but it's not brilliant.

Red driving school is part of the Instructor College, whom I wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

If you really want to give it a go, see the DSA website to obtain an info pack, this will include a directory of ORDIT registered schools, most of which are probably better, and cheaper than Red.

http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Instructors.asp

Tim A

scam. I would go to a public high school because most offer drivers training and ask to speak with a teacher who participates in program. They will be honest with you on how to enter this field of employment. The other place you may want to try and get info is at the secretary of state because i am sure there licensing comes from that branch of government.

Good luck and Happy Holidays.

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