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FTA warns on National CPC re-sits problem

O Licence
Modernisation of National Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) training legislation will force unprepared passenger and freight transport operators to re-evaluate their CPC training plans, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) warns.
As of next year, the syllabus will change, forcing those who do not achieve a full National CPC qualification on or before 2 December 2011 (the final date for CPC exams in 2011), to undertake the new course and/or examinations in 2012. The ruing also means that candidates who fail one or more of their National CPC examinations in December this year will not be able to re-sit their exams from January 2012, and will have to re-take new exams under the new syllabus. "These changes must not go unnoticed by the industry and should serve as a kick-start to potential O-licence holders to obtain full qualifications if they have not already done so," says Isobel Harding, FTA's national training manager. "Failing to grasp the nettle now could mean facing costs of re-sitting entire courses that have already been partially completed under the old syllabus," she adds. "When transport operators are struggling to keep their costs down, the last thing they need is to waste money and time by getting caught out by changes in legislation," continues Harding. Current holders of a National CPC will have a limited time – currently unconfirmed, but probably between one and three years – in which to gain their International qualification, after which only the new amalgamated course syllabus will exist.

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