Undergoing instructional sessions, honing skills, or learning techniques, depending on the context. - Youth concerns in NRW driving schools and the necessity for extended driving hours
The scarcity of skilled instructors is also affecting driving schools in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to Kurt Bartels, chairman of the North Rhine Driving Instructors' Association, "Every third to fourth driving school is on the Hunt for driving instructors." Some schools are already struggling to meet their capacity needs.
Bartels further explained that today's driving students require more lessons on average. Therefore, the need for more instructors is prevalent, even if the number of students remains constant. However, registration numbers are decreasing in some cases, reducing the need for additional instructors at the moment. "This makes the current shortage relatively less intense," Bartels said.
The future looks daunting
Bartels called the current situation tense and the future challenging. "The average age of a driving instructor is 49 years, and that of a driving school owner is 56 years. We anticipate a more severe shortage of instructors once the baby boomers retire," he said.
Martin Fellmer, chairman of the Westphalia Driving Instructors' Association, echoed these concerns. "We don't have exact figures for NRW, but due to demographic changes and the retirement of baby boomers, the shortage will increase," he said. "I wouldn't yet call it a shortage, but we see a declining trend in this profession."
The number of driving schools is dwindling
The Ministry of Transport acknowledges that there are no figures on the total number of instructors in NRW. However, the number of driving schools has been decreasing. In 2020, there were 3,998 driving schools in NRW. By 2023, this number had dropped to 3,704, according to the ministry.
Finding new talent is difficult for the industry, explained Fellmer. "In the past, new instructors were primarily from driving instructor families, but this trend is diminishing. The question of how driving schools can attract new employees is becoming increasingly important," he said. Particularly for classes A for motorcycles and C for trucks, the number of trainers is decreasing.
Training structure review needed
Given the looming future shortage, driving instructor training is under the microscope. "The driving instructor profession is a further education occupation," Bartels explained. The minimum age for training is 21 years. Additionally, the applicant must already have held their own driving license for three years, and have completed vocational training or Abitur.
"We have been advocating for a review of the training structure for a long time," said Bartels. "Making the profession a training occupation could remove the hurdle of having completed vocational training in a recognized training occupation as a prerequisite. This could potentially increase interest in the profession in the future," he explained.
Fellmer agrees that new approaches to training are needed. "The profession should be made appealing to young people early on. One possibility would be for them to complete an automotive apprenticeship or commercial training before turning 21, and then start their training at the minimum age," he suggested. Currently, vocational training usually takes at least a year, depending on the vehicle class.
Increase in driving lessons
In addition to rising costs for things like gas, electricity, and fuel, which are also reflected in prices, driving students themselves are contributing to the higher cost of obtaining a driver's license. "Driving students often no longer get to drive with their parents. Instead, many spend their time on their smartphones," Fellmer reported. "This lack of prior knowledge often means they need more driving lessons."
Bartels observes this trend as well. "The longer training time has caused costs to rise. I sometimes feel like there's no urgency to obtain the license quickly," he said. He encourages driving students to dedicate a certain period of time to obtaining their license and to give it their full focus. "If you put your foot down and prepare, you can still complete the training relatively quickly today," Bartels said.
The Commission, in an effort to address the complex issues facing driving schools, could be beneficial in being assisted by the Member States. According to Bartels and Fellmer, the retirement of baby boomers is expected to exacerbate the existing shortage of driving instructors, leading to a significant decrease in the number of driving schools.
