We believe learning to drive should link directly to improved employability, business engagement and community outcomes. By building partnerships with local businesses, we create opportunities for learners to gain independence, practical skills and meaningful work pathways.

Why this matters

• - Research by the RAC Foundation shows that 17.4% of job vacancies in a snapshot of UK recruiting required applicants to hold a standard driving licence in October 2023 - up from 15.2% in 2016. 

• - The report noted that many of the roles requiring a licence were in sectors such as plumbing (67%), estate agency (59%) and care work (34%) which employ people from a variety of backgrounds. 

• - A driving licence therefore acts as a “job-qualification” for a wide range of employment opportunities, not just driver-jobs, particularly where flexible travel or access is required. 

Our impact offer

• - Through business‐sponsored or subsidised lessons, learners gain the licence that enables them to apply for a far wider set of jobs.

• - Businesses in our network benefit by accessing a motivated pool of learners who are supported to enter employment, improving recruitment pathways, particularly in roles with travel or flexible location demands.

  • - There are tangible linear links: lesson access → licence attainment → wider job eligibility → increased employer engagement.

Investing in these partnerships helps close the gap between training and employment. The data shows that licence attainment is a measurable lever for job access.

We are committed to ensuring that cost is not the barrier keeping someone from gaining a driving licence – especially for learners from low-income households. By subsidising lessons and targeting those with financial constraint, we unlock mobility, employability and social inclusion.

Why this matters

• - According to the RAC Foundation, the cost of learning to drive (excluding vehicle purchase/running costs) has been estimated at nearly £2,200 in the UK. 

• - The same report emphasised that a licence is often a key qualification for job roles, and that for many job-seekers the inability to drive limits their accessible job pool. 

• - In Scotland, official statistics from the Scottish Government-published “No One Left Behind – Statistical Summary” found that in the most recent quarter, 22% of individuals reported transport as a barrier to employment (for that survey’s context) in their region. This is very relevant for all areas across the UK.

Our impact offer

• - By reducing the cost barrier, we increase access for learners who would otherwise have to forgo driving lessons or delay them.

• - Easier access to a licence means learners can apply for jobs further afield, attend earlier shifts, and reduce risk of missing opportunities due to poor transport links.

• - Each subsidised lesson is not merely a cost - it is an investment in increasing mobility, employability and reducing transport-based exclusion. The more people in employment, the bigger the economic benefits are for the community.

Evaluation frameworks can be built that show: cost of subsidy per learner → licence attainment → increased job eligibility → reduction in transport-barrier reporting. This gives strong metrics for return on investment in social value.

We recognise that learners with disabilities and long-term health conditions face additional barriers to accessing driving lessons and licences. Our inclusive support model ensures tailored instruction, adaptive equipment and specialist facilitation so that driving independence is accessible to all.

Why this matters

• - According to the Leonard Cheshire Foundation, disabled people aged 18-64 in the UK have an employment rate of 54%, compared with 82% for non-disabled adults - a disability employment gap of 28 percentage points. 

• - Research from the National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT) shows that 92% of disabled people face barriers when using at least one mode of transport. 

• - The Motability Foundation’s “Transport Accessibility Gap Report” found that one quarter (25%) of working‐age disabled people cite inaccessible transport as a key barrier to participation in employment. 

Our impact offer

• - By providing adaptive lessons (e.g., trained instructors, vehicles with adaptations, flexible scheduling), we remove transport-related barriers to licence access for learners with disabilities or long-term health conditions.

• - Learners gain increased independence, improved access to jobs, education, healthcare and social participation – thereby contributing to closing the disability employment gap.

• - This aim addresses both mobility inclusion and employment equity in one package, offering tangible social impact in an under-served segment.

Reports will be created that allow for the assessment of number of learners with disabilities served, number achieving licence, number progressing to employment or education, reduction in transport barriers. With strong data-collection this offers a clear case for inclusive impact investment.