Member Article

On the Road to Employment

A local taxi company and training provider have partnered to offer job opportunities to the unemployed in Middlesbrough.

Boro Cars and Profound Services have teamed up to provide a ‘Taxi Routeway’ course for those seeking work in the area. The course was set up to assist people who would like to start a career transporting passengers as a private hire taxi driver.

John Moon, Training Manager at Boro Cars said “The first course with Profound Services has went exceptionally well, the learners on the course have been great and shown a lot of enthusiasm.

“Our company is continuing to expand and look for new drivers and the routeway course is an excellent way to do this. The learners from the course who pass, are offered a job to drive at Boro Cars”

The four week course is being held at Boro Cars head office in Middlesbrough and includes developing skills and knowledge around health and safety, customer service, assisting disabled customers, route planning and safeguarding children.

Financial support and funding for prospective cabbies is also provided for their taxi badge and licences, medical, DBS check and locality tests.

Stephen Hoonaishi, aged 48 from Middlesbrough was recently made redundant from the SSI Steelworks in Redcar and found out about the course from his local job centre: “The course has been a great opportunity for me to train and find a new job after being made redundant

“It is going to be a very different job from what I am used to, but after the course I am confident I can adapt and I’m looking forward to starting work with Boro Cars”

Ex-taxi driver Len Junier, aged 54, who is also from Middlesbrough is now more confident after recently becoming unemployed, he said: “The support from Profound Services and Boro Cars has been great and has really helped myself, as well as the other people on the course, build our confidence and skills.

“At first I was weary about coming back into the taxi trade after not being a taxi driver since the early 90’s, so much has changed – the technology, new regulations, improved health and safety. But the course has prepared me to be confident in getting back onto the road.”

Len added: “Being unemployed meant I didn’t have access to the funds to pay for my badge, DBS check or locality test. So the course has really helped me in that way by funding everything I need to start working for Boro Cars”

Inderjit Uppal, Taxi Training Advisor at Profound Services said: “Our Taxi Routeway course is very popular across the north east. We are very happy that our first course with Boro Cars has been very successful in enabling the learners to secure work with Boro Cars”

To find out more about the Taxi Routeway course, please call 0191 587 4570 or visit www.profoundservices.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Profound Group .