It's the longest day of the year and June is proving to be a busy month.
Since the end of the lockdown restrictions in April, life and teaching has started to get back to some sort of normality, although in-car restrictions and social distancing are a constant reminder that we are still dealing with this damn virus.
I wasn't sure how much demand there would be when we restarted lessons but I have been pleasantly surprised by just how many people want to get started driving or to finally take their test. Getting a practical test is certainly easier said than done however, with over 460,000 tests backlogged from lockdown and more people adding to that number each day. Currently in the Scarborough area the waiting time is roughly 5-6 months which is the longest I've known since I started teaching in 1989. The wait for tests is not putting new drivers off learning though as this month has seen a marked demand for lessons with many instructors (including me) having a waiting list. I think this shows a renewed optimism that the worst of the pandemic is now behind us and the future is looking bright. I have had both my vaccinations now but still do twice weekly lateral flow tests to keep a check on the situation and many of my clients I know do the same.
So as we head into the late summer and autumn I'm hopeful that this coming winter will be kind to us weather wise, and that we can all keep earning a living doing what we love the most, helping people to learn new skills and opening up opportunities by passing their driving test and becoming safe drivers for life. And we just need some decent weather to help it along the way.
Since the end of the lockdown restrictions in April, life and teaching has started to get back to some sort of normality, although in-car restrictions and social distancing are a constant reminder that we are still dealing with this damn virus.
I wasn't sure how much demand there would be when we restarted lessons but I have been pleasantly surprised by just how many people want to get started driving or to finally take their test. Getting a practical test is certainly easier said than done however, with over 460,000 tests backlogged from lockdown and more people adding to that number each day. Currently in the Scarborough area the waiting time is roughly 5-6 months which is the longest I've known since I started teaching in 1989. The wait for tests is not putting new drivers off learning though as this month has seen a marked demand for lessons with many instructors (including me) having a waiting list. I think this shows a renewed optimism that the worst of the pandemic is now behind us and the future is looking bright. I have had both my vaccinations now but still do twice weekly lateral flow tests to keep a check on the situation and many of my clients I know do the same.
So as we head into the late summer and autumn I'm hopeful that this coming winter will be kind to us weather wise, and that we can all keep earning a living doing what we love the most, helping people to learn new skills and opening up opportunities by passing their driving test and becoming safe drivers for life. And we just need some decent weather to help it along the way.