Driving instructors wanted

By Dale Woodard on October 29, 2021.

Herald photo - A student driver vehicle makes its way along with other traffic Thursday afternoon along Stafford Drive South.

The Alberta Motor Association wants to put you in the driver’s seat.
The AMA is giving prospective entrepreneurs the chance to get their careers in gear as much-needed driving instructors looking to change lanes into a new line of work.
“There were 100,000 businesses that were up and running in February of 2020 before the pandemic hit and then by November those 100,000 businesses had shuttered,” said Ryan Lemont, manager of driver education for the AMA.
That signaled a change in livelihood for some.
“COVID prompted a lot of people to re-evaluate their careers and even prompted some of those to start making that career change,” said Lemont. “It’s not a small undertaking and anybody who has ever run a business knows some of the trials and tribulations, but also some of the benefits that come along with that.”
The AMA’s initiative was something that manifested itself over the years, said Lemont.
“It seemed to work for the industry and what was really nice about it was it puts the business owner in the driver’s seat as far as making their own decisions when it came to things like scheduling. I know that’s a big piece in all our lives. As an instructor it’s really up to you and the student how you want your schedule to look. There is a lot of variability with that and a lot of elbow room and people out there do enjoy that. So having that control over their schedule is one of those things.”
Lemont said instructors now are facilitators and educators, creating a one-on-one interaction between the teacher and a student.
“If you enjoy being a facilitator or an instructor, this is the perfect job for you because now it’s an opportunity to start your own business, have control over your schedule and how much you want to work and then fill that need of being an instructor.”
Lemont said the purchasing of the vehicle lies on the prospective entrepreneur, but there is no shortage of students in this particular line of work.
“We put through 10,000 students per year. However much they (instructors) are able to work, they have that steady stream of students.
“That’s another nice thing about starting your business, knowing there’s a steady flow of income or work coming from it because once you start your own business you want the clientele to come in and you want some of that revenue stream to start. This takes away the risk and wonder if that’s going to happen when you start your own business.”
Lemont said the AMA starts the applicant from “square one” and once they’re past the interview process the potential business owner is trained to become an instructor.
“From there it’s up to you to pass the provincial exam and once you get that we’re beside you to point you in the right direction as far as what you need to start your own business and it’s up to you to take it from there.”
Lemont said there is some apprehension for anyone starting their own business, but stressed the advantage of being one’s own boss.
“You set your hours and work as much or as little as you want,” he said. “There’s relatively low investment. You do have to purchase your own vehicle and set everything up, but the risk is low and you have the support of a big company like the AMA. We’ve been around for almost 100 years, so I think we’re doing something right. It’s helping other people start their businesses (and) we’re there to help you along the way.”
Those interested can visit careers.ama.ab.ca for more information.

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