Transport Training Academy opens

The first four trainees have completed their courses at the new Gregory Group Transport Training Academy which was officially opened on Friday 30 January at Gregory’s Cullompton Depot by Neil Parish, the MP for Tiverton and Honiton.

The ground-breaking driver training programme is intended to address an ongoing shortage of new driver recruits in the transport and logistics sector and will provide a service to all parts of the Gregory business, including milk collection, distribution and palletised services.

Daniel Boardman 27, Scott Stevenson, 33, and 28 year-old Paul Ayres all achieved their Category C LGV licence and were awarded certificates of achievement by Neil Parish. Daniel and Scott now work in the distribution business at Cullompton while Paul has joined the milk fleet collecting milk from farms.  34 year-old Samantha Baker also recently achieved a Category C LGV licence and has commenced work with Kay Transport on the Allied Bakeries contract at Willand.

Neil Parish commented “I am honoured to open the Gregory Group Transport Training Academy. The logistics sector contributes £55 billion to the UK economy and provides thousands of jobs. I am pleased that Cullompton will become a hub for training new drivers and giving local people the opportunity to develop new skills to help them in their careers.

”I think this initiative is great for Cullompton, Devon and for the whole country because Gregory is training up to 100 drivers a year.  We need good quality LGV drivers and I think it is excellent what they are doing here.”

Up to ten drivers a month will be drawn from existing company personnel, suitable external candidates and individuals through the Prince’s Trust who will be trained initially to LGV Category C standard.

Paul Jefferson, Gregory Distribution’s Supply Chain Director, said: “As a family owned business with a history dating back nearly 100 years, we are immensely proud of our commitment to training and to playing a very proactive role in developing our workforce”.

“We value our employees and ensure that every one of our staff has access to training, much of it undertaken in-house.  We hope the driver training model we have developed will encourage new recruits into the profession by acknowledging the value of the jobs available and the high level of professionalism required to carry them out.”

Ends

Pictured from left: Neil Parish MP, Paul Ayres, Scott Stevenson, Daniel Boardman, John Gregory (Credit Matt Austin)