Transport manager CPC abandoned by OCR

Budding transport managers seeking the Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) required so they can follow their profession now face the news that the country’s major provider of syllabus and examinations is pulling out of the market.

Examinations board OCR (formed from the old Oxford, Cambridge Royal Society of the Arts boards) will cease to offer the CPC qualification next year, with the final round of examinations for new candidates taking place in March. Three opportunities to resit will be offered for these candidates, with the last in December 2021.

The move leaves just two routes open to CPC acquisition: study and examination through the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, and City & Guilds. The latter body offers the freight CPC qualification only.

OCR said it had made what it called “this difficult decision” because “we are focusing our core activity on providing qualifications for 14 to 19 learners in schools, sixth forms and FE colleges.”

Not to be confused with the Driver CPC, the CPC is a Level Three qualification by examination, and is held to be roughly equivalent to an A-level. New candidates will still be accepted by OCR until March next year.

Sean Pargeter, managing director of EP Training in Surrey, told Transport Operator: “As an OCR approved examination centre for over 20 years I was shocked to hear OCR will not be continuing with the CPC examinations…

“From a training company point of view I can see we now have a challenge getting approved (with whatever organisation takes this over) within very limited time constraints. And no doubt Covid will add to this muddle.

“This year has been a complete nightmare for the commercial transport training industry and with this news it looks likes 2021 isn’t going to get any easier.”