At Your Service

Darlington Taxi Drivers Pick Up Professional Qualifications

September 2009

Dozens of cabbies have picked up their first ever professional qualifications, thanks to an innovative college course designed to set them on the road to success.

Forty-two drivers swapped the cab for the classroom as they studied for an NVQ Level 2 in Road Passenger Transport.

The college ran the course in partnership with ELMS Associates, equipping learners with an array of new skills – and allowing them to brush up on old ones.

The seven, three-hour sessions attracted everyone from private hire taxi drivers to limousine chauffeurs. They covered topics such as professional customer service, dealing with difficult passengers, coping with emergencies and transporting young people.

Cabbies also chose from a range of optional units including processing telephone bookings, route planning, helping disabled passengers and safely transporting parcels and luggage.

First

The first successful batch of students to complete the course was honoured at a presentation ceremony at Darlington Rugby Club. Their certificates were presented by Councillor Tom Nutt, chair of Darlington Council’s Licensing Committee.

Several learners said the course had allowed them to gain their first professional qualification after years away from studying.

Taxi driver Alan Bowness and chauffeur Mike Raw returned to the classroom after 35 years, while Marilyn Mills became Darlington’s first female cabbie to secure the NVQ.

Standards

ELMS transport academy leader Michael Wilkinson said he was working alongside the college to develop more courses to raise standards across the industry. More than 40 learners are already due to take the NVQ course when it is next run.

Mr Wilkinson said: “This NVQ has been adopted by several counties as the benchmark for the taxi industry and we expect it will soon become mandatory in the North-East. In the meantime, we’re helping to make Darlington a safer, better place to live.”

Terry Fennell, director of Darlington College’s Business First team, which works to boost the skills of local workforces commented; “The response to the course was fantastic and we look forward to providing further programmes that are of major benefit to the taxi trade.”

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