People living with financial hardship struggle to get out of the cycle in which they find themselves. Whether they have lost a long-term job which they have held for years and suddenly find themselves out of work, or have not been able to apply for a position they can do but do not have a full UK driving licence.
Simply look at most job adverts online or in the printed press and you will find that in order to apply for the role, you will need a driving licence. Even if that job is not normally associated with driving such as Zoo Keeper, Chef, Cafe Barista, Cleaner being amongst the many out there requiring a full UK driving licence.
When it comes to getting a job the requirement to have a driving licence, in our opinion, has no equal when opening opportunities for people. Indeed, Steve Gooding from the RAC Foundation* says “…when it comes to applying for many jobs and training positions the practical skill of being able to drive is often as critical as any GCSE or A level”.
Learning to drive can be prohibitively expensive when you have no money to spare and thereby meaning that you cannot reach for these jobs because of cost. In our opinion, this is not right and something we need to tackle head-on.
This is what having a driving licence means to some pupils who have passed their driving test with John.
“My job opportunities have increased so much, that I was able to take a much better job that I love.” – Kirsty
“Being able to drive will take the pressure off my mum and increase my job options” – Mitchell
“After school I want to study Midwifery at Uni, however I would need a car to get to and from my placements in the hospitals.” – Isobel
“A driving licence is more relevant to get a job than some of the courses we have to go on to get our benefits” – Amy
“It will improve my confidence and I can get the job I want” – Nick
