PDI Trainee Licence

This is available after passing parts 1 and 2 and following 40 hours of training for part 3. No proof of instructional skills or ability necessary! The licence is valid for a period of 6 months and, in theory, is designed to allow a new Instructor the opportunity to gain some experience while training for part 3, the Instructional Ability exam.

The licence is not compulsory and definitely not essential. By using a trainee licence and a franchise during training, on average, you will pay out up to 3 times as much money, take twice as long and have a higher risk of failure. Regrettably, the trainee licence does not heighten your chance of success. A point confirmed by DSA.

The licence has been abused by many training providers and Driving Schools to make money at the expense of the public and potential instructor. Without any form of assessment, badly trained and unqualified instructors are used as ‘cheap' labour to make money for the Driving School ‘franchise' selling organisation. The licensing system is currently under review as the DSA are belatedly looking at ways of making the Trainee Licence available only to instructors who have successfully taken and passed a qualifying module, possibly part 3 phase 1.

On a trainee licence you are not allowed to trade under your own name and you can only work for another Driving School. You must be ‘licensed' to a qualified instructor, on a 1:1 ratio. The Driving School will usually expect you to sign a franchise or contract agreement and pay them anything up to £400 per week for the privilege - on top of any training fee - and you will still have to pay for the fuel and in many instances provide your own car!

Instructors who operate with a trainee licence find that their training stops or becomes less frequent; because of monetary and commercial considerations - you're not earning for the organisation when you are receiving training - you end up teaching yourself!

If you fail to qualify during the period of your licence you may find they you are out of a job.