NTDA Tyre Technician Licensing Scheme gathers momentum

The NTDA’s new Tyre Technician Professional Development Scheme, designed to raise professionalism within the tyre industry and improve technicians’ opportunities and career progression, is gathering momentum according to the association.

Officially launched at the Tyre Industry Conference in October last year, the NTDA Tyre Technician Professional Development Scheme is intended to act as a form of self-regulation for the tyre retail industry and will increase the flexibility of tyre technicians by providing them with a nationally-recognised licence designed to demonstrate their competency wherever they choose to work.

It comes in the wake of a recent NTDA Membership Survey, which showed less than half of all members felt customers appreciate the skills of tyre technicians. The survey also highlighted great support for further professional development with 96 per cent of members agreeing more must be done to raise the skill levels and service skills of technicians and calling for an industry-backed NTDA licence that separates the tyre technicians from the non-skilled workforce, especially those operating in the part worn tyre market.

Following the success of the NTDA’s REACT licensing scheme for commercial roadside tyre technicians, which has resulted in more than 4,500 technicians being trained, assessed, deemed competent and issued with a licence to work safely at the roadside, the Tyre Technician Professional Development Scheme introduces the Licensed Retail Tyre Technician (LRTT), Licensed Vehicle Service Technician (LVST)
and the Licensed Commercial Tyre Technician (LCTT) licences.

“Our technicians keep Britain’s motorists moving and the NTDA will continue to work towards raising standards
and qualifications for them,” said NTDA chief executive Stefan Hay. “These new licences can be kept by the technician as proof of their skills and competence. Our industry needs to show it is a good career option, that there are many different paths to take, with good advancement prospects. We have already seen market leading training providers such as Michelin and Bridgestone apply for the new licences and we have issued more than 70 licences in the first month of operating the scheme. Many more companies are now engaging, both training providers and leading tyre retailers, and our collective vision is that by raising the skills of technicians, trust and confidence levels amongst customers will also rise.”