Enhancing Employment Training Programs with Driver’s License Education

Employment training offers job seekers and new hires the opportunity to learn many new skills that can make them more employable. Since driving is often a prerequisite for many roles, integrating this essential skill into employment training programs can drastically help candidates find the right roles.

From construction and landscaping to delivery & transport drivers, car dealerships, or even au pairs, almost any employer can benefit from hiring a candidate who is licensed. This blog post will take a deeper dive into how incorporating driver’s education into employment training can better prepare individuals for a wide range of job opportunities.

Why Should Employment Training Programs Include Driver’s Education?

Integrating driver’s license training into employment programs provides trainees with essential skills that can expand their job opportunities. Driver’s licenses can make candidates more versatile, mobile, and attractive to employers. Not only that, it can give candidates access to jobs in areas farther than their immediate vicinity, expanding their range of opportunities even further.

Studies have shown that having a driver’s license makes an impact on employability. When a high school driving program was suspended, it had far-reaching consequences on young candidates’ ability to find suitable jobs in their region. In many cases, a job seeker’s inability to find work is related to transportation issues. Adding driver’s education to employment programs can remove this obstacle.

Benefits of Driver’s License Training for Job Seekers and Employers

A study conducted in the US showed that undocumented women increased work propensity by 4.2% and raised their weekly hours after obtaining a driver’s license. That said, adding driver’s education to an employment training program doesn’t only benefit trainees, but also everyone involved. Those seeking jobs and training, employers looking to hire skilled candidates, and even organizations that offer these programs can benefit from adding driver’s license training. Here’s how:

• Broadens the scope of employment opportunities available to trainees
• Having a driver’s license can make trainees more attractive to potential employers
• Organizations offering driver’s education can help bridge inequitable transportation gaps
• Provides individuals with increased mobility, making them more flexible with job locations and working hours
• Partnering with local driving schools can strengthen community ties and support local economies
• Organizations that include driver’s license training in their programs are more competitive, can attract more applicants and even funding from government grants

How to Integrate Driver’s Ed into Your Training Programs

Integrating driver’s education into your existing employment training programs doesn’t need to be complicated. A good way to make the most of driver’s ed is to collaborate with local driving schools to ensure trainees receive driving instruction from experts. Additionally, partnering with local licensing authorities can help trainees seamlessly complete licensing exams. Through these partnerships, you can make your employment training program even more attractive to prospective trainees since learning driving skills adds value by enhancing overall employability.

Exploring Non-Commercial Class C Licenses in Pennsylvania: What You Need to Know

In Pennsylvania, a Non-Commercial Class C License is the most common type of driver’s license. It allows license holders to operate a standard passenger vehicle, which is what most employers will look for. When trainees go through a Driver’s Ed course for a Non-Commercial Class C license in PA, they’ll be able to get a license to operate a 4-door vehicle, scooter, or even emergency vehicles like ambulances. Of course, certain types of employment like delivery drivers may require a different license class to operate vehicles like larger trucks. 

To gain a deeper understanding of different types of license classes, including commercial and non-commercial options, check out our blog on PA license types.

Types of Jobs that Require Class C License

Even with a non-commercial Class C driver’s license, individuals can open the door to a variety of job opportunities. Below is a non-exhaustive list of different types of jobs that usually require a Class C license in Pennsylvania. These jobs usually rely on vehicles that don’t exceed certain weight limits, which is why they’re compatible with a Class C license in PA rather than the commercial licenses needed for larger and heavier vehicles.

• Landscapers: Landscapers need to transport equipment and supplies to job sites
• Sales representative: Sales professionals often travel to different locations for meetings
• Delivery driver: Local delivery jobs for courier services, food delivery, or small parcels
• Rideshare driver: Rideshare companies like Uber or Lyft
• Personal driver or chauffeur: Driving a standard car or limousine for personal transport
• Service technicians: Installers, repair technicians, or IT support staff travel to client’s homes or businesses
• Construction worker: Some construction workers need to drive light trucks or other vehicles to equipment to job sites
• Au pair: Au pairs often need to drive children to school, activities, or appointments
• Office or administrative support: Administrative roles may require occasional driving for office errands or document delivery
• Emergency responder: Certain roles in emergency response, such as basic life support ambulances don’t require a commercial license

Overcoming Challenges of Introducing Driver’s Ed

While including driver’s education in employment training programs seems like an exciting prospect, organizations may face obstacles along the way, such as:

• Funding: It can be tricky to secure additional grants when programs may already be strapped
• Logistics: Coordinating with driving schools and licensing bureaus can be time-consuming, especially for smaller teams
• Participant availability: Trainees need to be flexible enough to be able to fit additional classes for driver’s license training into their schedules

Tips for success:

• Apply for government or nonprofit grants that focus on workforce development
• Search for sponsors or donors from local businesses who can benefit from hiring these candidates and who are interested in community growth
• Develop partnerships with select driving schools for discounted rates for participants

Why Choose Driven2Drive for Your Employment Training Program

When you partner with a local driving school, like Driven2Drive, you can offer numerous benefits to your trainees. A partnership with Driven2Drive can provide:

• Affordable training: Discounted rates for driving lessons and tests
• Flexible scheduling: Training schedules to accommodate diverse time commitments
• Extensive support: Tailored instructions to meet the specific needs of participants

Driven2Drive is happy to partner with local employment training programs and offer discounted rates for lesson packages. At Driven2Drive, our instructors are highly trained, professional, and experienced when it comes to working with people of all backgrounds. Our training program can be tailored to people with specific needs, such as those from low-income backgrounds or new immigrants.

Driver’s Education and Employment Training Success Story

To showcase how impactful driver’s education can be to trainee’s employability prospects, let’s look at a success story from the US Department of Labor of someone who went through a similar program. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, George was laid off from his job where he worked for five years. As someone with vision impairments, it was apparent to George’s case worker that this presented a transportation barrier. 

While going through an employment training program, George also went through an eye exam and got corrective glasses so he could obtain a driver’s license. After graduation from his employment training program, George was employed as a machine set-up operator. His employer was impressed with his skills along with the fact that he was able to obtain a driver’s license.

Driven2Drive: Offer the Skill of Driving to Your Employment Training Participants

When you integrate driver’s license education into employment training, everybody wins. Driver’s education can significantly enhance job prospects for everyone, particularly low-income individuals and immigrants. By partnering with a driving school like Driven2Drive, your organization can offer a training program that’s more flexible and comprehensive, offers better value, and can lead to higher employment rates.
Contact us today to discuss discount rates on driving lessons for employment training programs.

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