Newslink

Meet the ADI
There’s nothing better than getting
a new ADI over the line ...
Continuing our series of
Q&As with MSA GB members,
this month, Graham Kent
from Grimsby
When did you become an ADI, and
what made you enter the profession?
After 20 years of working in senior
management for United Biscuits with
brands such as Youngs and McVities I
was made redundant.
I considered my strengths and things
that I enjoyed doing and I came up with
people, cars and training. I was in
Grimsby job centre and a company was
advertising for driving instructors. I knew
immediately that that was what I wanted
to do.
What’s the best bit about the job?
Training instructors and them, in turn,
getting great feedback from their new
pupils in the first week – such as “I’ve
learnt more with your instructor in that
first 90-minute lesson than I did with my
last instructor over 10 hours!”
And the worst?
Experiencing rude examiners.
Thankfully it is rare but occasionally I
and my team experience treatment of our
pupils that is unacceptable.
The ITV driving test programme The
Secrets of the Driving Test showed that
examiners can be excellent at putting the
candidate at ease and give a high
standard of customer service. I wish all
examiners would be like this.
Graham and his team an
Anderby Driving Centre
Ltd. ‘I’ve owned the
company since 2005,
and built it up from five
ADIs to over 30. I also
train people to become
ADIs and have been
ORDIT since 2008.’
What’s the best piece of training advice
you were ever given?
To do the Education and Training
course – Level 3. It focuses on how to
teach adults. It was a tough course but
very worthwhile. It confirmed many
things that I had been self taught over
the years but also introduced me to
many ways in which to train adults
(including learners and instructors)
What one piece of kit, other than your
car and phone, could you not do
without?
The radio. My first company car didn’t
have one as standard. I immediately
installed a Motorola. Now I couldn’t do
without listening to Radio 4 – especially
the Today programme, World at One
and, of course, the extremely funny show
I’m sorry I haven’t a clue quiz hosted by
the brilliant Jack Dee
What needs fixing most urgently in
driving generally?
Getting people to realise that
distractions while driving are extremely
dangerous. Most of the time drivers get
away with being distracted by talking on
their hands-free phones or a quick look
at texts, etc, but if that moment
coincides with a child running out or a
Graham writes: ‘I appeared
on the ITV 1 programme
‘The Secrets of the Driving
Test’ last April, with my
pupil Shaunna. She had
been trying to pass her test
for 10 years, and had had
11 attempts when I met
her. I really interesting lady
and fantastic to see her pass
finally on her 13th go... and
great to have it shown on
such a prestigious channel
at 8.30pm.’
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NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2021