DST was formed in 1996 as the “Centre of Excellence” for driver training for personnel from the Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines. DST provides 95 different courses delivering transport management and operation training, with a throughput of approximately 16,000+ trainees a year. At any one time DST is able to train up to 1400 personnel. This size of operation makes the DST probably the largest residential driver training school in the world.
In addition to core training of military personnel, DST provides specialist training to the Police, Fire Service and overseas training to Defence Attaches, bespoke courses for foreign customers, and the DST has generated additional courses to support recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Northern Ireland.
This training commitment is delivered by an establishment of 250 military, 850 civilian servants’ staff and some 250 contract staff. DST also has 9 satellite locations in the south of England providing car licence acquisition.
Courses
The full scope of courses available is impressive:
- Driver Training Wing delivers licence acquisition for all types of vehicle from motorcycle to LGV and conversion to military vehicles, and an introduction to operating military vehicles in the field.
- Advanced Training Wing provides training to newly commissioned Logistics officers, Driving Examiners and Instructors, “Blue Light” Emergency Vehicle training, transport management courses, signals training and driving and instructor courses on a wide range of military specialist vehicles.
Resources
In addition to classrooms, lecture theatres and demonstration areas, the Defence School of Transport (DST) has 16km of road training circuits which includes roundabouts, junctions, manoeuvring area and a purpose built hill. This allows trainees to develop their basic road sense and driving skills prior to proceeding on to the local roads.
Also there are 18kms of cross country training circuit on site, consisting of forty man-made obstacles, including two water crossings, a wading lake and 9 km of defined cross country tracks, as well as five combat woods used for training in concealment and camouflage. There is also a Railhead distribution point. The 1:8 hill on the training area at DST allows students to practice and be tested on the hill manoeuvre.
To increase the utility of the driver training circuit within Leconfield, and increase the time that the students spend on the area, the driver training circuit has been enhanced to provide the hazards and manoeuvres encountered during the driving test. The enhancements reduce the amount of time spent on local roads and reduce levels of congestion.
There are approximately 50 acres of tree plantations, planted from 1997 onwards, giving the biggest tree plantation in the East Riding of Yorkshire. DST also works very closely with the Environment Agency who has a holding lake for fish stock on site. There is a large and active conservation group at DST which has links with various other conservation and nature groups. DST also has a large specimen area of wildlife and flora.
Finally, we currently spend over £50 million per annum on pay, local goods, services and contracts such as catering and building maintenance.