SLIC secures minibus to ease travel worries

SLIC Training have been successful with their bid for a minibus to ease travel concerns for their candidates. With the support of the Access Alliance Partnership, SLIC Training have been able to expand the flexibility of their training and provide transportation to access training.

The minibus will provide a sustainable transport solution to enable outreach activities into North Derbyshire’s and North Nottinghamshire’s rural communities and enhance our full time Horticulture training provision.

The minibus will link horticulture training (full time courses, NVQs, and short courses), personal skills (CV writing, interview techniques, numeracy, literacy, and job application techniques) with other services such as outreach work that benefits the local community. The ultimate goal however is that beneficiaries gain the help and support to access training and qualifications.

Aimed principally at young people and those without access to a private car, the Rural Rover minibus will be used to:

• Provide a low cost travel option to those that do not usually fully benefit from the training that is on offer due to their location or lack of a convenient, direct, travel.
• Transport principally in the morning (between 8 – 9am), but also in the evening (between 4 - 5.30pm)
• Allow the beneficiaries to benefit local community projects and initiatives through honing the practical skills needed for the full time courses by working with local regeneration, landscaping, or gardening projects as well as working on the gardens of low income or single parent families identified through partner organisations.
• Take full time learners to site visits to enhance their learning experience.

As SLIC’s training provision is on a “roll on, roll off” basis the introduction of the minibus will have an immediate benefit and will be put to work upon delivery.

The addition of the tow bar and trailer to the minibus will allow the students to gain practical knowledge for their training course within the community as the trailer will be used to transport tools and machinery to locations within both North Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire so that the training candidates can learn the skills whilst benefitting local horticulture projects and communities including the gardens of low income or single parent families. The external projects will be identified in collaboration with third parties such as the Volunteer Centre.