The first IRU Academy Accredited Training Institute (ATI) e-meeting of the year brought together more than 45 participants from around 30 countries to discuss the future of professional road transport training, with a strong focus on driver mobility, dangerous goods transport and recent IRU Academy developments.
The recent ATI meeting underscored the growing pressure on the sector to attract and retain professional drivers.
In Europe, as in many other regions around the globe, driver shortages remain a major concern, driven by an ageing workforce and an insufficient inflow of new talent. EU-supported initiatives are seeking to improve recruitment pathways and mobility opportunities for third-country drivers.
Against this backdrop, the ATI network has a key role to play in supporting the alignment of training standards, strengthening capacity building, and facilitating the recognition and integration of drivers across markets.
New studies conducted by IRU, including STEER2EU and Skilled Driver Mobility for Europe (SDM4EU), have identified significant structural gaps in recruitment practices and professionalisation models between the EU and third countries. (....)