The Job and What's Involved
Community transport is a local service for people who are unable to use other forms of transport, for example the elderly, disabled and schoolchildren.
As a community transport operations manager, it would be your job to oversee the day-to-day delivery of the service.
Your duties would include:
- Organising service and staff rotas.
- Recruiting and managing staff.
- Managing the booking service.
- Keeping vehicle maintenance schedules.
- Organising staff training.
- Marketing and advertising the service.
- Making sure services comply with relevant legislation.
You would be responsible for supervising community transport drivers and passenger assistants.
You would work around 40 hours a week, full-time. Depending on the service, you may have to work weekends. Early starts are common.
You would mainly be office-based and spend most of your time at a computer. You may sometimes be required to perform passenger assistant duties.
Starting salaries can be from £20,000 to £25,000 a year.
With experience, this can rise to £30,000 a year.
Getting Started with this Career Choice
You can find opportunities in most areas of the country, with public, private and voluntary organisations.
Vacancies are usually advertised in the local press, and on the websites listed opposite. Many community transport organisations are run by local councils, therefore jobs may be advertised on your local authority or community transport association websites.
The most common way into this career is to work your way up from other roles in community transport.
Education and Training
Employers usually expect you to be educated to A Level standard, or equivalent, with a good level of maths and English. Experience of managing people and services would also give you an advantage when looking for work.
You may needCriminal Records Bureau (CRB)clearance for this job.
A Few More Exams You Might Need
Once you are working, you could take the NVQ in Managing in Road Passenger Transport, levels 3 and 4.
Other options include industry related qualifications such as the Certificate of Professional Competence in National Passenger Transport offered by Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR).
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Skills and Personal Qualities Needed
A community transport operations manager needs:
- Organisation and planning skills.
- People skills and an understanding of good customer service.
- Good communication skills.
- IT skills.
- The ability to manage a budget.
- Staff management experience.
- An interest in the delivery of transport services.
- An understanding of relevant legislation, for example Health and Safety.
Your Long Term Prospects
With experience, you could move into managing transport operations for other companies.
You could also take on more senior roles within community transport, for example service director.
Get Further Information
GoSkills,
Concorde House,
Trinity Park,
Solihull, Birmingham B37 7UQ
Tel: 0121 635 5520
Website:
www.goskills.org
Community Transport Association,
Highbank,
Halton Street,
Hyde, Cheshire SK14 2NY
Tel: 0845 130 6195
Website:
www.ctauk.org