On the road to success

Landing a first job or apprenticeship can be tough.

When most jobs require a driver licence and you don’t have one, or you live a long way from where jobs are, it’s even tougher. That’s why AA Driving School has launched a programme in partnership with the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) to help students get on the road and to their first jobs.

Called the MIT Accelerate Driving Training Programme, AA Driving School is sponsoring up to 75 MIT Trades and Hospitality students to get three free driving lessons with an AA Driving Instructor. In addition, AA Driving School is training four MIT staff members to facilitate the Defensive Driving Course, which can reduce the time it takes to get a full licence by six months.

“Not having a driver licence can be a significant barrier to employment,” says AA Driving School General Manager Roger Venn. “We want to help students on their driver training journey, so they’re not held back from getting a job simply because they don’t have a licence.”

A joint ACC and Auckland Chamber of Commerce study in 2014 found that a young person with a full or restricted licence is three times more likely to secure employment than those without. Not having a licence is a particularly significant barrier for students in Trades subjects, where driving is an essential part of the job.

The AA will also provide one year’s free AA Membership to Accelerate participants who obtain their full licence by the end of June 2019.