Driver training, testing can reduce unemployment rate in the transport sector

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"South Africa is currently facing a shortage of skilled truck drivers, which will only worsen as the economy recovers," warns Arnoux Maré, managing director of Innovative Learning Solutions (ILS).

"And like the current issues with national electricity supply, a shortage of drivers is also a catch-22. As business activity resumes, we will see more transportation demand, but a lack of adequate supply could quickly strangle economic growth again."

Pointing to the high demand for truck drivers, latest figures from fleet-tracking company Ctrack’s Freight Transport Index show that in November 2021, the average number of trucks passing through the Tugela toll plaza reached 7,450 per day. As the midpoint of the busiest long-distance freight corridor in South Africa, this equates to as many as 251 trucks per hour.

The index further shows that there were even more trucks than cars on the N3 corridor for 10 of the 12 months of 2021 and that despite the impacts of the pandemic, there has been a 30% increase in the number of trucks on South Africa’s roads compared to five years ago.

"A shortage of skilled drivers impacts nearly every sector. They transport essential goods like food, fuel, coal, hospital and medical equipment, clothing, and more. We urgently need to do more to fill the skills gap in South Africa by investing in driver training programmes now to avoid hitting a major roadblock in our economic recovery," says Maré

"South African businesses need to begin building a talent pipeline to plug the skills gap now if we are to avoid hitting a speedbump in economic growth. With affordable training programmes, a career as a truck driver is an attractive option for many unemployed South Africans – particularly for unemployed youth."

Upskilling drivers

Maré argues that corporates especially need to invest in upskilling drivers to mitigate the risk they are taking by hiring drivers without proper background checks and driver training.

"With the rising demand for truck drivers, having professionally trained drivers is one of the best solutions available for enhancing operational efficiency. This means having truckers who know how to secure their load, drive in wet conditions, and have the expertise and confidence to act swiftly when a threat arises, to aid in ensuring that cargo arrives safely at its destination.

"Professional skills training not only benefits employees and the economy, but also reduces the risk of accidents, which directly impacts the bottom-lines of businesses. That’s why an increasing number of business owners are taking advantage of training and testing opportunities to bridge the skill shortage gap within the transport sector and safeguard their assets."

As the home of Africa’s largest driver testing and training centre, Innovative Learning Solutions offers courses and learning programmes for corporates. With courses suitable for beginner drivers to experienced code 14 truck drivers, as well as several TETA accredited courses, Innovative Learning Solutions aims to reduce the risk of accidents and damages to transport companies and private businesses.

As part of the Innovative Solutions Group TM of companies, ILS also uses its insights into South Africa’s critical skill shortages to create programmes that fulfil wider business needs. These include training staff in soft skills such as communication, emergency care, motivation, and customer services.

"By investing in the development of their systems and staff, private sector businesses can increase their functionality, mitigate risk and gain competitive advantage over those companies whose staff have not been trained," concludes Maré.