Covid-19 has affected all of us, including driving instructors! For many months, due to government restrictions our driving instructors were unable to teach new learners how to pass their test. Paired with this, the government put a stop to driving tests being taken place causing a huge backlog of both new learners being able to start, and current learners being able to sit their exams.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has stated that driving instructors are one of the most in-demand roles in the UK due to this backlog. The current driving test wait time sits at around 14 weeks, with around 4000 new 17 year olds wanting to start their lessons every single day!
Whilst this all seems quite bleak, the good news is it’s never been a better time to train as a driving instructor. As one of the most trusted driving schools in the UK, My Four Wheels are on the lookout for individuals seeking a new, exciting career to join our ranks. As the trusted training provider for many, we’ve helped and are helping 100’s of new instructors pass their exams and start a new career for life…and you could be next.
Who can become a driving instructor?
The criteria for
becoming a driving instructor with My Four Wheels couldn’t be simpler. You must be over the age of 21, and have held a full UK driving license for at least three years, have no more than 6 points on your license and with no disqualifications. You’ll also need to carry out a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to start your application, even if you already have one.
If you’re unsure as to whether you would be eligible to apply to become a driving instructor, there’s a really handy tool on the DVSA website to help you out. You can find it
here.
What is involved in the recruitment process?
At My Four Wheels we make becoming a driving instructor as simple as possible. To begin with, we have a great career guide that’s completely free to download, and is packed full of really useful information on becoming a driving instructor. You can download it
here.We have a team of career advisors that are on hand to answer any questions that you might have about becoming a driving instructor. If you want to skip the guide and speak to one of them straight away, give us a call on 0800 888 6889!
Only when you are fully decided that becoming a driving instructor is the right step for you, will we enrol you in the programme. We’ll fully map out what your training journey looks like, so you know exactly what comes next and there are no hidden surprises.
What is involved with becoming a driving instructor?
Becoming a driving instructor is relatively straight forward, but requires dedication and a lot of hard work. The driving instructor qualification process is split into 3 stages, your Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 exams:
Part 1 – See this as a more in depth version of the theory test you may have taken when becoming a learner driver. You have 1 hour 30 minutes to answer 100 multiple choice questions.
Only once you have passed your Part 1 can you continue to your Part 2.
Part 2 – The second part of your instructor driving exams is a rigorous driving test. The test, which usually lasts around an hour, will consist of:
- An eyesight check (reading number plates from different distances)
- An eyesight check (reading number plates from different distances)
- Show me tell me questions around vehicle safety
- General driving ability
- Manoeuvres
- Independent driving
Only once you have passed your Part 2 can you move onto sitting your Part 3 exam
Part 3 – The final exam you must pass before being honoured with the title of Approved Driving Instructor is the longest, and hardest part of the process, and is designed to assess the quality of your instructor and your ability to pass your knowledge onto pupils. There are 17 areas of competency you will be marked on, split into 3 categories:
- Lesson planning
- Risk management
- Teach and learning strategies
You’ll be given a score from 0 to 3 for each of the 17 competencies, which are added up to give you your final score. This final score will determine whether you have passed or not.
If you would like to find out more about becoming a driving instructor, what is involved, and to find out whether My Four Wheels would be a good fit for you as your training provider, simply
get in touch with our team today who would be happy to answer any question you might have.
