Driving test often as important as academic results.

27 April 2016

Driving test often as important as academic results.

Almost one in six jobs requires the applicant to be able to drive. The RAC Foundation has analysed a snapshot of the government’s employment database and found that of the 847,000 vacancies available in Great Britain in July 2015, 131,000 (15.4%) stated that a vehicle or licence was necessary for the post.

Another 7,700 (1%) of the jobs on the list from the Department for Work and Pensions said that a vehicle or licence would be beneficial or practical. The professions that required applicants to have the ability to drive were as diverse as: carer, professional driver, cleaner, zoo worker, chef, sales consultant, security guard, business development manager, gymnastics coach, electrician and hairdresser. The RAC Foundation also looked at the vacancies shown on the England-only Skills Funding Agency’s apprenticeship database in September 2015. Of the 16,100 situations vacant, 806 (5%) stipulated that applicants must have their own vehicle or at least the ability to drive. Another 1,143 (7%) stated that a vehicle or licence would be beneficial or practical.

The research follows on from previous research by the RAC Foundation which showed that 15.3 million (58%) of workers in England and Wales drive themselves to the ‘office’, while a further 1.4 million (5%) get a lift.