Redundancy - Driving instructor!?

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BeccaLouJ9
BeccaLouJ9 Registered Posts: 896 Epic contributor 🐘
in Chat and off-topic discussion
Hey all,

My other half just got told that they are all being made redundant from their jobs next year. Well they have been told 'informally' i.e no actual date or information, because the media got hold of it so basically they had to tell them the truth!!

Anywho, he has always loved driving, and he is a very friendly, people person. (I don't think there is one person he has ever met who hasn't liked him!!) He is thinking about becoming a driving instructor. All set to go, money in the bank ready to pay over, read all the stuff from AA- who he'd do it through. But now we've been reading online about how there is little work for driving instructors and that it is a over crowded job. He was told by the AA man that he could expect to be earning up to £30K but reading around sounds like this could be grossly exaggerated!!

Has anyone gone down the route of training to be a driving instructor? And do you have any advice?

Ta for any help.

B xxxx

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  • Nps
    Nps Registered Posts: 782
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    My husband looked into this about a year ago too. Our impression was that if you stay with the big firms, they sting you for 'franchise' and admin fees, so essentially they take a huge chuck of any fees you receive. So much so, that you'd have to work every hour under the sun to make their fees worthwhile. The upside was that they provided the car (didn't get into the detail about those costs) but more importantly, they do your marketing and send students to you. I think it was Red who show the costs involved in a franchise on their website. It was that which put us off but then we did need a salary expectation of over £30k in order to justify the career change.

    The alternative was paying for the training independently, and setting up alone, but this had all the usual risks associated with any self employment. I seem to remember that the training was more too as it wasn't subsidised by the big firms and of course the car costs are entirely your responsibility.

    To be honest I'd take anything the firms said with a pinch of salt as they still get their training fees regardless of if there is any work out there afterwards.

    In the end we decided that we'd concentrate on my career change first and he'd have to stick at the well paid and secure, but 'treated like crap' career. At least one of us got out!
  • BeccaLouJ9
    BeccaLouJ9 Registered Posts: 896 Epic contributor 🐘
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    Hi NPS thanks for your reply.

    We have looked at all the franchise options and would go for the cheapest one as all we would want from them were the customers and the car! :) But seriously, other half would ideally do the franchising thing for a year or so to get to grips with it all and then branch out on his own if he thought he could handle it.

    According to AA, they pay for the car, ins, tax and maintenance, so you only pay for the petrol. The fees are huge in regards to the franchise! But then you have to start somewhere..!?

    There are so many pro's and con's, but unfortunately as he is being made redundant he doesn't get to choose to stay in his job. It's either follow the dream, so to speak, or find a new job.

    I think if he can earn the same as he does in his current job, after tax, and expenses, and franchise fees etc. Then he should go for it. If it doesn't work out then he's lost out on the training fees and will need to get another job. But it is his dream?!?!?

    :)
    B xxx
  • Nps
    Nps Registered Posts: 782
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    BeccaLouJ9 wrote: »
    I think if he can earn the same as he does in his current job, after tax, and expenses, and franchise fees etc. Then he should go for it. If it doesn't work out then he's lost out on the training fees and will need to get another job. But it is his dream?!?!?

    Exactly! What's the worst that can happen? If the initial fees are not too high, it's got to be worth following the dream.
  • BeccaLouJ9
    BeccaLouJ9 Registered Posts: 896 Epic contributor 🐘
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    Yep, It's not the end of the world- It's alot of money, but if it's what he wants, what he thinks will work, and what he would enjoy doing then why not. So all he needs to do is work out if his take home pay will be equal to or more than at the moment.

    xx

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