Newslink April

Q&A with...
Why networking is the best way to
progress – and beware a pea-souper!
This month we chat to Andrew Burgess, an ADI based in
Hessle and a member of the Area 2 East Coast MSA GB
Committee, about his life as an ADI.
When did you become an ADI, and
what made you enter the profession?
I first became an ADI in 1972. At the
time I was working for a large driving
school as the mechanic looking after the
school cars. Seeing the tuition vehicles
day in, day out, piqued my interest and I
decided to have a go.
I worked for a local driving school for a
number of years, then went selfemployed
for the next 49 years.
I don’t teach learners any more; I
switched over to running NDORS courses
and now only work the speed awareness
courses online, previously for
Humberside Police, but now for TTC.
What’s the best bit about the job?
Working with a team of well dressed,
polite, smart, highly-qualified and
respected driving instructors!
And the worst?
Back in the day when I was a teaching
ADI I would have to say it was the long
hours and the poor pay at the time.
What’s the best piece of training advice
you were ever given?
Give your full and entire knowledge
and experience to your client, pay full
attention to their needs, and complete
their full hour’s lesson.
What one piece of kit, other than your
car and phone, could you not do
without?
In my day we did not have a mobile
phone, so when training we always had
a note book and a pen.
What needs fixing most urgently in
driving generally?
When we refer to today, there is no
doubt that there is a need to look at
graduated driving licences.
What should the DVSA focus on?
Working towards improving the
standard of the training of instructors, not
only in their ability to do the job but their
overall appearance and the impression
they give to the public. Too many people
in this sector let the side down with their
attitude and appearance, giving a
second-rate impression. Remember, this
is a profession.
What’s the next big thing that’s going to
transform driver training/testing?
Log books and a higher standard of
training in the industry.
Electric cars – yes or no? And why?
They are a must, so yes, because
that’s the way technology is going, but
first, we need to see more focus on
ensuring the appropriate infrastructure is
in place.
‘‘
Best advice? Always give
your full knowledge and
experience to the client, pay
full attention to their needs,
and complete their full
hour’s lesson
‘‘
How can we improve driver testing/
training in one move?
Start with the foundations of driver
testing and training: improve the
standard of trainers and examiners.
Who/what inspires you, drives you on?
My involvement with other
organisations, and a general desire to see
an improvement in road safety.
What keeps you awake at night?
Nothing, but my thoughts often turn to
the quality of the trainer today.
No one is the finished article. What do
you do to keep on top of the game?
For me the answer is to attend meeting
such as those the MSA GB puts on, and
work with like-minded people to try to
improve when we can.
As well as my involvement with MSA
GB for the East Coast committee I am on
the executive committee of the IMTD
(Institute of Master Tutors of Driving). It
keeps me up-to-date with the latest
developments, but more importantly
gives me a chance to chat with fellow
professionals. You learn more about this
job that way.
What’s the daftest /most dangerous
thing that’s ever happened to you while
teaching?
I think the daftest – I certainly felt daft
– was turning up at the wrong client’s
house. The most dangerous was working
40 NEWSLINK n APRIL 2023