KUALA LUMPUR: The high demand for instructors among driving school operators has led to consistent job vacancies to cover the shortage of trainers.
Rawang Driving Institutes manager Lim Chai Lee said most driving school operators needed more instructors due to quotas set by the Road Transport Department (RTD) for instructors to be allowed to teach.
"The RTD set quotas for car and lorry driving instructors, allowing only one instructor to teach one candidate. For motorcycles, one instructor could teach up to five candidates at a time.
"In areas like the Klang Valley, many candidates have to wait three to five months for their turn to learn due to the shortage of instructors. Having more instructors means that wait can be shortened," she told the New Straits Times.
She said her driving school had 54 instructors currently and needed five more to fulfil their requirements.
Driving schools in Saujana Utama manager Tengku Ahmad Masirim said that RTD's requirements regarding the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualification should be more flexible.
He believes the temporary exemption for six months would allow capable drivers without an SPM certificate to pursue certification as driving instructors.
"If the response is very encouraging, we may request for this exemption of SPM qualification to be maintained as it also gives job opportunities to people," he said.
Malaysian Driving Institute Association president Mat Aris Bakar echoed the sentiment and said the RTD has prepared a Malaysian skills certificate for future driving instructors and RTD examiners.
"The RTD will issue Malaysian skills certificates soon to all prospective instructors at all driving training centers, as well as to all RTD staff members.
"The government, through the Skills Development Department under the Human Resources Ministry has prepared the National Occupational Skill Standards for Driving Instructors or Driving Instructor Level 3.
"If an individual passes all training and exams, they will be given the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM).
"Similarly, driving school examiners will also be SKM-certified."
Previously, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook announced that individuals without SPM qualifications could apply for the Driving School Instructors' Certificate from July 1 to Dec 31.