Britain's young people are being locked out of work by an entrenched driving test backlog, according to a report from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ). The think tank's analysis of new Department for Transport data shows learners in England must now wait around 21 weeks for an available driving test – more than four times the five-week wait in 2020.

The CSJ warns that one in six job vacancies requires a driving licence, rising to one in three in care and social work and more than two-thirds of plumbing vacancies. Nearly one in five unemployed people say transport problems have caused them to turn down a job or not apply.

The proportion of 17-to-20-year-olds holding a full car driving licence in England has fallen from 48 per cent in 1994 to just 29 per cent in 2024, the report notes.

Severe capacity constraints

The report highlights how severe the backlog has become. In September 2025, around 70 per cent of driving test centres in England had reached the maximum 24-week wait, meaning it was impossible to book a test. In 2026, average test availability across English centres remains just 7.7 per cent of all test slots.

Daniel Lilley, of the Centre for Social Justice, said the driving test system has been "completely overwhelmed" since the pandemic.

The CSJ's report, Rewiring education: a path from school to work, argues that the backlog is particularly damaging for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). It cites Alan Milburn's Young People and Work Review, which found that more than one million young people are now outside education, employment or training, with more than a quarter of a million additional young people becoming NEET in just five years. The review estimates that each young person who becomes NEET could lose up to £300,000 in earnings over their lifetime.

Proposed solutions

To tackle the problem, the CSJ makes three key recommendations. First, it calls on the Government to expand the existing Delegated Examiner Scheme so accredited employers can conduct Category B car driving tests for staff who need a licence for work. This would follow the example of emergency services and the military, which already use delegated examiners for HGV licences.

Second, it proposes creating regional driving-test hubs where large employers could sell spare testing capacity to further education colleges, apprentices and smaller local businesses.

Third, it suggests allowing colleges and employers to use vocational and apprenticeship funding to cover test costs, helping more young people gain the licences they need for work.

Political support

The proposals have drawn support from MPs. Ruth Cadbury, Chair of the Transport Select Committee and Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth, said: "As school leavers start thinking about their next step, we must remove the barriers that hold them back from work and education. In many parts of the economy, from care to the skilled trades, a driving licence can be essential." She said the Government should examine the CSJ's proposals to expand driving test capacity.

Peter Swallow, Labour MP for Bracknell, said the Government should give serious consideration to the CSJ's proposals for involving employers and colleges in expanding test capacity.

The CSJ's report comes as pupils collected their GCSE results and began making decisions about work, apprenticeships and further education.