To think DH should become a driving instructor?

[Aabbaas]

DH has been made redundant a few months ago and is struggling to find a new job.
He is a very clever man but has ended up working in an industry he isn't passionate about and is at a point in life (mid 40s) where he is questioning what to do next.
He would like a job that gave him flexibility around his hours, wants to be around more for DD6 and going back to the previous industry would mean having to work occasional weekends and festivities and possibly long hours for an average salary.

A colleague of mine mentioned that her DH is trying to retrain as a driving instructor and it got me thinking. It seems to be a job that is in high demand, DH has free time to qualify quickly (albeit it does require 2K or so invested in a course I think) and he could be managing his own schedule/continue to do this potentially as a second stream of income in the future, given we are in such an unstable job market.

What are the serious pros and cons we should consider? Has anyone done this or knows someone close enough that has managed to change their career and earn a decent living from it?

I think you're massively underestimating expenses.

Tax.
Pension.
Sick leave.
Annual leave.
Fuel.
Vehicle maintenance.
A new car (dual control).
Insurance.
Things like new tyres, brakes etc. which will wear through very quickly with multiple learner drivers.
Driving between lessons.
Dead time between lessons.

He won't make anywhere near the amount you're thinking he will.

I work too so he isn't the main earner in the family

My dc driving instructor was charging £50 for an hour and a half. I thought the hour and a half lessons were better anyway as more time on the road and learning in a car per week rather than an hour.
But I think it’s great that he (and you) are thinking of ways to earn money that may potentially fit with your life. No it may not but neither woulda ‘normal’ job. Any work takes away from family life most people just try their best.
One thing to consider is that A level students often have their lessons straight after school the instructor waits outside the school, so 3pm is a prime lesson time.

It’s going to be a heck of a lot more than 2k, it was 2k donkey years ago! Then factor in needing a dual control car, insurance etc, does he even want to be a instructor? Have you even asked him? Very odd to ask the inernet their opinion before even asking his, he may not want to be driving 6-7 hours a day. It’s extremely stressful!

That might work if he just wants a bit of part time income, but not if he wants a full time wage. DS's driving instructor used to pick him up from school (sixth form) and do a lesson then. The instructors like it because they can get an extra lesson in, without such a late finish.

I think there's more to family life than the school run. Being able to do that but never there on Sundays doesn't sound appealing to me. When do you get time with him?

I would’ve thought a lot of the customers would be doing A levels or be at college?? My sons both had their lessons when they had free periods doing A levels.

If he's getting paid 25 hours per week, he'll be out working much more than that, with unpaid time in between lessons.

Crunch the numbers.

Have a look at training prices, I would guess 5-6k wouldn't be surprising but am not up to date.

Make sure you assume about a 10-15% cancellation rate. I aim to teach about 30 hours per week, so book about 35 hours in if I can, because cancellations there will be..

Look at car lease prices or estimate ownership + maintenance. Neither route is cheap and each has its pros and cons.

Driver instructor franchises are a good way to get started and build a base but and often expensive and can tie you in for a year at a time. There are lighter weight options though. I use a local company and just pay a set fee per hour of their pupils taught as I also get my own referrals, but can top up as and when, and am too lazy to do a lot of marketing...

As I say for the right person it can work well. I have no kids and am mortgage free, but work out how it looks for your situation, and err on the cautious side with your numbers

Most sixth forms require students in school for study periods these days. College might be more flexible, but it wouldn't work for Alevel students in my trust.

Also don't worry about the times of day. I work Saturday usually but not Monday where possible. I tend to do roughly 9-5 but it varies a lot. It's no problem to fill all hours of the day with so many people on random shift patterns, free periods at college etc.

I imagine it's much harder than people think. Even with dual controls, you'll be having to deal with people swerving at 60mph. Before anyone says most new drivers are fine, yes, but it's the few that aren't. Plus everyone says getting tests is so hard these days, and not likely to be resolved soon, that presumably you'll have to be flexible about hours and suit your clients whenever they can book a test, so it's not like ten years ago when you could set your hours?
A pro might be they seem to be in demand, always queries on social media about them.

You are significantly underestimating the training costs. There is also a high failure rate on the teaching exam in particular and then very long wait to re-test. So you need to really crunch the numbers and go on all the driving instructor forums that give a more realistic indication of the upfront costs that would be incurred. In summary it takes several years to make the initial investment back which is fine if thinking of long term job change. And there is a risk your husband won't pass the examinations so potentially thousands gone in sunk costs.

DH is a driving instructor. He really enjoys it and makes reasonable money, but I am the main earner by some way. It’s good in school holidays for flexibility but not so much during term time as after school is a popular slot and he has to work when people actually want the lessons, not just when he wants to work. It can also significantly impact family time at weekends.

Interestingly the insurance and getting dual controls fitting isn’t as expensive as you might think though.

The two driving instructors I personally knew both had affairs with their students.

The man who taught me to drive said the only time his nails grew was when he went on skiing holidays and had gloves on, which says a lot. Unless your DH is used to pressure I'd rethink.