The UK’s vehicle rental, leasing and fleet sectors are increasingly turning to trusted training to upskill staff, combating wider recruitment challenges.

Nora Leggett, HR director and lead at the BVRLA, said the best way of combating recruitment challenges is to invest in people already in the workplace

That’s according to the BVRLA, which has revealed another record-breaking year for its Learning & Development programme – and says it’s indicative of an expanding trend.

The association’s latest Business Impact Survey shows that recruitment is challenging in the current tough labour market and uncertain economic landscape, but there is still confidence in maintaining or growing staff levels. A total of 94% of members expect staffing levels to remain the same or increase over the next 12 months, but 54% are struggling with the recruitment of new staff.

A crucial way of achieving this is through investing in existing team members and many managers are now looking to expand the capabilities of their existing team members – putting the BVRLA training programme on course to surpass 1,000 delegates this year, with an average of three courses running every week.

Nora Leggett, HR director and L&D lead at the BVRLA, said: “Companies are facing an ever-changing landscape where the goalposts are constantly moving. New regulations are coming and customer expectations are higher than ever.

“The best way of keeping up with those changes is to invest in the people already in the workplace. They know how the company works and the values it represents. Upskilling them in targeted areas is a quick, effective and low-risk way of improving overall standards and maintaining pace with a rapidly evolving market.”

The BVRLA has decade of experience in providing training courses to the industry, giving its programme a reputation for delivering high-quality resources that help to maintain standards across multiple sectors.

That reputation is being upheld through 2022, with courses receiving an average rating of 4.7 out of five, and 89% of delegates saying they would recommend the programme to others.

“We are proud to offer a fully flexible programme to meet the needs of companies of all sizes. Whether looking to train one or two members or a full team, the BVRLA programme contains a blend of online, virtual and in-person courses to ensure all development objectives can be met,” concluded Leggett.

The BVRLA learning and development programme is open to all industry professionals, with BVRLA members receiving reduced rates. Courses cover a wide range of topics, spanning EV technology and handling customer complaints, to selling different service products and monitoring Fair Wear & Tear standards. Full details are available on the BVRLA website or by emailing [email protected].