RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
January 7, 2000
RoSPA LEADS WITH NEW STANDARD FOR FLEET INSTRUCTORS
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is launching a new qualification for fleet driving instructors, which it believes will become the national standard. External accreditation will ensure the highest quality training available.
By incorporating BTEC Progressive Advanced Driving Instruction into its acclaimed diploma course, RoSPA says it can meet all the requirements of the proposed Driving Standards Agency Fleet Instructor Register - announced at RoSPA’s National Road Safety Congress in 1999.
The register has been called for by the Government to ensure that people training company car drivers have a recognised qualification that customers know they can trust.
RoSPA is working in partnership with DSA and others in the fleet driving industry to draw up a voluntary register.
Bob Smalley, RoSPA General Manager Driver Services, said: "The industry has been crying out for a qualification like this, which has external accreditation. We believe we are now offering instructors and companies the best qualification available to deliver such a specialised product. We will be happy to work with the DSA and the Government to carry out any fine tuning they see fit."
RoSPA called on its unrivalled experience in the field, and listened to the needs of the DSA and the Fleet Driver Training Association before deciding on the BTEC route.
The BTEC Progressive Advanced Driving Instruction qualification, from Ideas in Action at academic level four, is equivalent to HNC/Undergraduate degree standard. Until now, the RoSPA National Diploma in Advanced Driving Instruction has been the highest award available to an advanced driving instructor. Combining the BTEC with the diploma provides Approved Driving Instructors with professional progression into fleet driving instruction, backed by formal academic qualifications from Edexcel, the UK’s largest awarding body.
RoSPA had considered adopting an NVQ qualification, but felt it was inappropriate to meet the needs of skill-based driving instruction.
