Female Instructor Gap: Tech Takes the Wheel

For Kiyah Fallon, getting her driver's licence was not the typical "rite of passage" but rather an anxiety-filled challenge. Like many women, Kiyah felt more comfortable being taught by a female instructor.?Her experience highlights a growing issue in Australia's driver education landscape—many women, including migrants and refugees, prefer female driving instructors, yet there remains a shortage of women in this role.

“I was really nervous about being on the roads,” the 21-year-old explained. “Driving in rural New South Wales was fine, but once I was in the city, it was overwhelming.”

?Key Points:

• Women now make up just 23% of the national driving instructor workforce.
• Female learner drivers express a preference for female instructors due to comfort and cultural reasons.
• Technology-based platforms, like?myDRIVESCHOOL?, could be helping to bridge gaps in accessible, safe driver education.

?Kiyah’s story echoes the sentiments of many other women. After three years on her learner plates, she finally found Donna Furber, a female instructor who opened her own driving school earlier this year.

?The Supply-Demand Imbalance

As driving lessons become more in demand, particularly among women and migrants, driving schools are struggling to keep up.

“We have more than 200 people on our waiting list, 70% of them are women, many of whom have requested female instructors,” said Josh Alexander from Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services.

But with female instructors in short supply, the gap persists. “It’s not just about learning to drive,” said Alexander.

“For some women, having a female instructor allows them to overcome cultural barriers and anxieties that would otherwise hold them back.”

?Enter myDRIVESCHOOL? – A New Kind of Driver Education

While the shortage of female instructors remains a concern, innovative solutions like?myDRIVESCHOOL??could be indeed helping to fill the void. The program uses simulation technology and artificial intelligence to deliver personalised driving lessons in a safe, virtual environment.

“Not only does?myDRIVESCHOOL??offer a cost-effective way to train new drivers, but it also helps address the confidence and safety concerns many learners face,” explained CEO Lisa Skaife.

This type of tech-based training provides an accessible and comfortable alternative for learners.

“Learners can practise difficult and various scenarios from the safety of their own homes.”

?A Call for Change

As Australia’s driving education landscape continues to evolve, the combined efforts of traditional driving schools and innovative platforms like?myDRIVESCHOOL??become crucial in meeting the growing demand. Both provide vital solutions to the challenges faced by women and other vulnerable groups seeking to gain independence on the roads.

For women like Kiyah Fallon, who spent years on her L-plates due to nerves, technology like this could provide a bridge between theoretical knowledge and the confidence needed for on-road driving.

Using simulation-based learning, this tech allows learners, particularly those who feel uncomfortable or anxious, to practise driving in a virtual, low-pressure environment.?

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-05/call-for-female-driving-instructors-to-meet-demand-for-lessons/102688806

myDRIVESCHOOL? is a simulation game to teach people how to drive online, designed to bridge the gap between theory and practical driver training. The program is delivered on PC with portable steering wheel/pedal set. It's engaging, educational and it works!!! Our students rated 48% more competent and 17% less anxious. Won the 2019 Australasian Serious Games Challenge & Congress, with the highest score in the history of the event.

Website

https://www.mydriveschool.com