Former factory line trainer turned ADI Rob Gwilliams reveals why his move into instructing was the best career decision he ever made – and how it could help the future career of his motorsports-obsessed daughter.
Owner of the Shrewsbury-based Rob Gwilliams Driving School, Rob has been a successful ADI since 2004 and is using the training skills he learned on the factory floor to make students safer drivers – and to help under 17s make their driving dreams come true.
What did you do before becoming an ADI? I worked for a large engine manufacturing company for eight-and-a-half years. Because of my knowledge of the factory and how it worked, I was one of the main trainers on our line and enjoyed the teaching aspects. Because I loved driving, I decided that I could put the two together! Unfortunately, the cost of training was too expensive at the time so I was forced to put my plans on hold. But when a voluntary redundancy programme was announced, I realised that the funding I needed was suddenly there! So I took the plunge.
What kind of ADI are you? I am a very laid back and mellow kind of instructor. I like to make my lessons fun but keep them very informative too, focusing on real learning while prioritising safety. To help connect with each and every student, I have also been using Client Centre Learning (CCL) techniques to get the students learning in a way that suits them.
The CCL approach sees you adapting your teaching style to suit the learner’s aptitude – after all, everyone learns in different ways and at different speeds so it’s important to adapt your teaching style to help them achieve test success. My pupils also get a book to help them learn, write their logs in and do their homework in. In my experience, if they actually do fill in the books, they tend to learn better, although it’s not always easy to get all of my students to do it!
What’s your favourite and least favourite part of the job? My favourite is when students pass their tests – I love to see their happiness and pride when they do! I also love meeting new students and figuring out the best way to teach them. The worse part is when a student fails their test or when a student cancels without giving me enough notice; the latter really does make me feel like I’ve been messed about.
What’s been your biggest professional learning experience and why? I think the whole job itself has been one big learning experience; you are always learning and growing. I don’t think that anyone in this job is perfect as the challenges facing the profession are continually changing plus every student is different.
There are two things I want to change about the industry – first, for tests to be more consistent; for instance, one student can do one thing and fail but the following week, they do the same thing and pass because it’s a different examiner. Second, test waiting times are a major issue that must to be rectified as soon as possible. It is unfair to make pupils wait so long when they are test-ready.
– ADI Rob Gwilliams on the current state of the industry
You have set up an Under 17 Driving Academy to not only help youngsters get into driving but to help your daughter too. Can you go into more detail? My 15-year-old daughter Caitlin wants to get into motorsports but can’t if she is unable to drive! So she started looking into enrolling at an under 17 driving school but there weren’t any in the local area, so we decided that it was gap that needed to be filled!
I got together with two other ADIs and formed the Shrewsbury Under 17 Driving Academy. Caitlin now has 13 hours of driving under her belt and has become a lot more confident – she really wants to get on the roads now! In the meantime, she has also bought herself a go-kart that she’ll get out on to the track in shortly and meanwhile, has done plenty of racing in corporate karts.
Why do you think it is important for under 17s to get behind the wheel? It helps them learn the controls plus it drives home the importance of safe driving. It’s also great to give them an experience in a safe and legal environment that they can’t officially get yet.
Finally, how do you find Theory Test Pro helps your students? It’s an excellent source of training where I can keep a track on their progress and advise them if they need help in particular areas. It’s also a very easy system to use and covers a wide range of questions.
As well as creating an under 17 driving school because of his daughter Caitlin’s motorsport ambitions, Rob has also sponsored her first pro go-kart, officially making him a nominee for a ‘World’s Best Dad’ award!