The DVSA have opened their annual “Working as an ADI” survey. I know what you’re probably thinking – what’s the point? They don’t listen anyway.

And you wouldn’t be alone. Every year, thousands of ADIs roll their eyes, delete the email, and carry on with the day. Last year, just under 14% of instructors filled it in. That’s 5,620 voices in a profession of over 40,000. Not nothing, but not enough.

Here’s the truth: whether you believe DVSA act on the results or not, the one number that always lands is the response rate. Low figures let them shrug and say “the industry isn’t engaged.” Imagine what would happen if we doubled it. If instead of 14%, 30% responded. They couldn’t ignore that. The survey itself would become a message – that instructors care, that we are engaged, and that we want to be heard.

As the DITC, we spend time speaking up and representing ADIs and protecting the professionalism of the industry. Without instructors exercising their voice this is made more difficult and less effective.

It takes 10–20 minutes. It’s anonymous. And if nothing else, it’s a way of saying: “I’m here. This is my reality. Record it.”

We’ve been open with DVSA about the way their surveys and comms often feel corporate, distant, and safe. They say they know the challenges, but too often it reads like empathy at arm’s length. That’s frustrating. But it’s also exactly why you should tell your truth in the survey. Not polished, not filtered, just honest.

Because if we stay silent, we give them a free pass. And silence looks like acceptance.

So here’s the ask: take 15 minutes before the end of the month, fill in the survey, and encourage another instructor to do the same. If you’re cynical, do it anyway. If you’ve got a story to tell, this is your chance.

Be honest. Be heard. Be seen.

Take the survey here