Heavy Truck Licence

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 15, 8 September 1987, Page 6 (Supplement)

Heavy Truck Licence

Continued from pg 2. comprehensive alternative employment programme would be introduced," the company's managing director, Mr Bill Hartigan, said. "The company said every effort would be made to provide new skills and alternative employment for its people at Lower Hutt. This was one of the reasons why the company gave two years notice of its intention to close its Lower Hutt facilities." Mr Hartigan said the company believed a heavy truck driver's licence was a valuable new skill for its employees. "When we offered the programme to our people, we expected perhaps 20 or 30 people may want to take part. The fact that 1 10 people took part and all successfully completed their training is a tremendously satisfying result." Ford New Zealand was indebted to its employees for the enthusiasm for new training opportunities and very grateful for the assistance given by the Ministry of Transport. Mr Hartigan said the company did not necessarily

expect all 1 1U employees to seek truck driving jobs. What the company had set out to do was to open up to its employees a new skill and career alternative for the future. It was up to the individual employees how they used that skill. In addition to the heavy trade truck licence training programme, Ford New Zealand was currently offering to its employees a wide variety of continuing education programmes. These ranged from forklift driving and welding training courses to typing and basic accounting training courses. Mr Hartigan said vehicle assembly at the Lower Hutt plant would progressively be reduced during the firsf half of 1988 while the company's head office was currently being relocated in Auckland. At present, there were 370 employees at the assembly plant. "The company has always said it will manage the closure in a caring and people oriented manner. I believe the response of our people to the new training opportunities offered to them is testimony of us doing that," he said.