Interest in youth driver training grows

Julie Keane.

Interest in Manfeild's driver training initiative has been growing steadily since our initial announcement almost six months ago, but will likely pick up after an event the other day.

Our co-ordinated programme involving Manfeild, the NZ Transport Agency and Palmerston North-based employment facilitator Talent Central, sets out to enable secondary students to achieve at least a learner or restricted licence, associated NCEA credits and a defensive driving certificate before they enter the workforce.

The concept is driven by thought that school leavers stand a much better chance of gaining a place in the workforce, if they hold a driving licence. And it aligns with our intention to redevelop a circuit section not used for major competition into the country's best driver training ground.

We went fully public with our plan last December and have since invested a lot of time and effort in discussion with agencies, schools and most importantly, prospective participants.

The latter were again our focus on May 18, when we were involved in the annual Sort It expo, an event in Palmerston North's Central Energy Trust Arena 2 that involves a diversity of tertiary and employment providers and is attended by students from throughout the region.

I'm delighted to say our stall seemed to be particularly popular with the thousands of young people in attendance.

We gave out more than 1500 cards to students and had more than 100 registrations and enquires on our National Driver Training Centre website, which went live the night before the expo.

Michael Barbour, who is leading the NDTC initiative in addition to being our sales and marketing manager, says feedback from students, teachers, careers advisors and parents was uniformly positive. Everyone was interested in the project and wanted to know more. Since the primary impetus is to provide young learner drivers with the skills to gain their car licences, it's not surprising most of the inquiry was about that.

However, it was interesting to note there was also a lot of genuine interest in the courses in respect to more specialist vehicles - forklifts, taxis and heavier road-going transport - that we're also intending to include.

The initial focus of our programme will be on secondary schools in the Manawatu, but a longer-term aim is to reach the entire regional catchment from Horowhenua to Ruapehu.

Research suggests the lower North Island alone holds a catchment of about 12,000 students who could benefit.

We'd like to think the full programme could involve all Year 12 students in the Manawatu undertaking their learner then restricted licences at Manfeild, where we will provision for hands-on driver training activity on a 1.5km sealed section adjacent to the main racing venue, Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon.

The Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA) is a valuable asset for our region. I'm very impressed with how this successor organisation to Destination Manawatu and Vision Manawatu has grasped the challenge of business support and development and regional promotion in the time since its formation last September.

I was delighted to learn last week that Linda Stewart, who stepped up to the position of acting chief executive in March, has now been confirmed as CEO.

I feel the agency is in excellent hands.

Call on 027 6599 666 with any thoughts about Manfeild. To keep up with the latest new on the website, www.manfeild.co.nz and Facebook page.