The Freight Transport Association (FTA) aims to “revolutionise” the professional status of transport managers with a new range of continuous professional development courses that it will launch later this year.
James Hookham, MD – membership and policy at the FTA, said the City & Guilds Level 3 qualifications will fill in the “missing piece” when it comes to developing the single largest professional job represented in its membership: CV fleet managers.
At present, once a transport manager has passed their Transport Manager CPC exam, there is no nationally recognised training available to them. “One of the criticisms of the CPC is that it doesn’t give you the necessary skills you need. You meet the expectations of the EC and the DfT, but whether it gives you the knowledge and the understanding you need to run a fleet is an issue,” said Hookham.
The FTA hopes the standardised training will enable transport managers’ skills to be recognised with all employers, as well as providing proof of a viable career path for jobseekers, which is vital to attract government investment.
The courses will be modular, with operators able to specify the training most relevant for their sector, such as temperature-controlled fleets or urban deliveries.
They will be registered with awarding body Ofqual, with City & Guilds approval expected this quarter and the first transport managers enrolling by September.
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