Driver Licence Programme Pilot.

In partnership with NPDC, Spotswood College, Waitara High School & Inglewood High School – we’re getting 50 young people licensed to drive. And one step closer to employment.

HOW the driver licence programme WORKS

Students from Spotswood College, Waitara High School and Inglewood High School were selected to be part of the pilot programme. There are five phases to the programme including:

1. Road Code Training

   In the July 2019 school holidays students attended a week-long intensive road code training programme. The team at Taranaki Adult Literacy Services ran a session in Waitara, Inglewood and New Plymouth locations for students to attend.

2. Learner Licence Test

   Once learners felt ready to be tested, the team at the New Plymouth AA delivered the online learner test.

3. Learning to Drive

   All students receive three professional AA lessons via the AA Ignition programme. These lessons are designed to be taken beginning, mid-point and right before the restricted test.

   Some of the learners on the programme will learn to drive at home with support from family/whanau. Others will learn with the support of a Taranaki Futures supplied vehicle and volunteer driver mentor.

4. Defensive Driving Course

   All students will be supported to complete an AA Defensive Driving Course.

5. Restricted Licence Test

   Finally, when students feel ready to sit their restricted driving practical test, they will be booked in with the AA New Plymouth team.

timeline

The programme was scheduled to be completed by term two 2020. Due to the impact of Covid-19, we had to reset the timeframe to allow students to keep up with their practical ‘in car and on the road learning’, added in some additional support for one-on-one sessions, post the defensive driving lessons and many of the AA tests booked had to be re-scheduled. Completion will be at the end of October 2020 now, with great test results as PASSED coming through to us.

A big thank you to our Taranaki Futures driver mentors (volunteers) who have maintained their time with many students to get them over the line. Your extra time has been fantastic.

Once complete, a programme evaluation will be conducted to assess the success of the pilot.

Acknowledgements

This programme is delivered with grateful thanks to our supporters: