My employer has decided to introduce NVQ “Training” for its’ drivers. I’ve got an NVQ form filling session tomorrow, has anybody been through this process? Apparently it’s not going toward the Driver CPC. I’ve done a similar course with plant-biggest waste of time and money. Is it right you have to write a diary of what you do each day?
Also, someone will be riding shotgun as part of the training programme.
Did this last year and I have to say it was fairly easy. You have to collect evidence that you can do the job by photocopying tacho’s etc, by answering question papers and having a driving assesment etc, but it was not as hard as the courses some of my colleagues did a few years ago. Don’t worry too much about it and the up side is it counts as the equivilent of 5 GCSE’. If it’s free it’s another string to your bow that may help you if you have to look for a job in the future. 2 drivers on the dole, one qualified… one not… who has a better chance ■■?
Sounds a bit like the SAFED course we had to do recently, our firm claims back the cost of it somehow. SAFED was pointless, everybody went straight back to driving how they did before-but then again we get paid on a bonus scheme, which everyone bar management thinks is illegal…
When I was on the buses, I was put through the Pcv equivilent and have to agree it was nothing more than a pointless paper excercise.
A bit like their advanced driver course…some american idea that the uk insurance companies don’t even recognise 
We did this a couple of years ago and yes its a doddle and yes its not worth the paper its written on. The first bit is my opinion the second is the opinion of the person who actually did ours. Another thing is why do you need to prove you can drive by having an nvq when youve already got the licence and soon will need the dcpc.
We done it last year as you say a work diary for a few weeks and a drive with an assesor. My wife is a teacher and said nvq is known as not very qualified in the trade.
I dont think it counts towards the cpc but i know the previous government paid for us to do it to boost the education figures i suppouse and look good on the company website.
You have nothing to worry about doing the work and as someone said it might be the clincher if you go for another job.
Hi Muckaway,
We did the NVQ thing a couple of years ago it’s very easy . You just go about your normal duties and have some one with a couple of times. He took a few Photos and bits asked a few silly questions and you have some questions to answer at the end. A bloke called Pete who worked for Milton Keynes Collage and lives in Bicester done ours. Nice bloke.
M G b:
Hi Muckaway,
We did the NVQ thing a couple of years ago it’s very easy . You just go about your normal duties and have some one with a couple of times. He took a few Photos and bits asked a few silly questions and you have some questions to answer at the end. A bloke called Pete who worked for Milton Keynes Collage and lives in Bicester done ours. Nice bloke.
SNAP!! i did mine via Milton Keynes Collage and Pete came out with me,pretty much as everybody has already said,I did two ride alongs and filled out a question book plus examples of tacho’s,defects,paperwork,etc.I did mine as we got a £1.45 p/h payrise for passing so it was worth it for basically for doing the same job 
only found driver NVQ courses for new drivers(without a full c or c &e licence) as part of their training ,
I did one of these afew years ago, just do what you do normally, photocopy a few tacho’s and have half an hour with an assessor. My assessor even said after a few minutes (ok lets go get some lunch I can see you’ve got no problem with this) that was it.
However it did help get an interview once, or at least the interviewer said they liked it, they even offered me the job - so perhaps its worth it after all?
washy jnr:
M G b:
Hi Muckaway,
We did the NVQ thing a couple of years ago it’s very easy . You just go about your normal duties and have some one with a couple of times. He took a few Photos and bits asked a few silly questions and you have some questions to answer at the end. A bloke called Pete who worked for Milton Keynes Collage and lives in Bicester done ours. Nice bloke.SNAP!! i did mine via Milton Keynes Collage and Pete came out with me,pretty much as everybody has already said,I did two ride alongs and filled out a question book plus examples of tacho’s,defects,paperwork,etc.I did mine as we got a £1.45 p/h payrise for passing so it was worth it for basically for doing the same job
Apparently, we aren’t getting a pay rise as a result though our shovel drivers did a couple of years ago. As others have said I think the plant ops had more paperwork to do. I remember doing NVQs with CITB and they gave the impression you were better than non NVQ operators-CRAP, experience and reputation got the older drivers hire jobs over and over…
I done the “transporting goods by road” modules. Done them in the army people follow you around and watch you unload / load, couple / uncouple a trailer, basically watch you do what you do everyday.
I was on the dole for a while when I left the army & these NVQs didn’t do me any good at all. After a while I moved house asked a local company for work. Within two days I was learning how to really transport goods by road right down to learning what a barrel hitch & how to tie a dolly knot!! 
Did mine a month ago pretty straightforward guy just follows you round asking questions and taking pics
Didn’t Wincanton waste several hundred thousand pounds and put all their own drivers through an NVQ recently.
Not been home long, what a waste of an hour! Fair enough having someone come out and watch you drive but what the hell has diversity awareness got to do with lorry driving? Apparently we all have to read a booklet about it and answer questions on tolerance blah blah blah…
This won’t make a bit of difference to how I behave on-site, if the banksman acts like a t@#t he’ll be treated like one whether he’s black white muslim or takes part in obscure activities on the pretence of dog walking. 