DHL Supply Chain, the global market leader in logistics, has teamed up with Dyslexia Action to provide its Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) trainers with training on how to identify and cater for students with dyslexia.
Many people challenged by dyslexia have not been formally diagnosed. DHL’s DCPC trainers are taught to identify their learning needs and how to help employees who are experiencing problems in the DCPC learning environment. This is a significant move in the field of logistics, where a higher proportion of the driving work force is expected to have literacy related difficulties.
DHL maintains over 50 approved trainers to deliver over 30 courses a week throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The company funds this training for all its internal drivers and also offers bespoke courses for customers. More than 8,000 vocational drivers across the UK have been trained so far and DHL expects to help in excess of 10,000 drivers complete their compulsory training before the given period of five years ends.
Pierre de Carteret, UK Programme Manager – Driver CPC says: “Maintaining highly skilled and motivated drivers and subcontractors within our business is integral to our continued success and safety standards. Working with Dyslexia Action will develop our trainers to a higher standard. This will have a positive impact on the training that we deliver and will hopefully lead to other logistics employers demanding similar high standards and more drivers achieving their DCPC training.”
Shirley Cramer CBE, Chief Executive Officer of Dyslexia Action, comments: “As a charity that improves lives through education, our objective is to prepare those with a hidden disability such as dyslexia to improve skills and to develop strategies to overcome their difficulties. It is commendable to see that a market leader such as DHL is willing to tackle the issue of weak literacy skills in their workforce to widen their employees’ employment and promotional prospect.
Driver Certificate Competence training (DCPC) is a requirement of the EU directive 2003/59 to the knowledge and skills of professional LGV and PCV drivers throughout their working life. Drivers are required to complete 35 hours of periodic training before September 2014 to retain their entitlement to drive vocationally.
