Thanks for the FLA.com article that begins,"We hear lots of calls for more attention to forklift training -" Here are some of my thoughts:

Most senior warehouse and distribution center operations managers are keenly aware of at least one important mission: Whether all their forklift operators are well-trained or not, the goods still have to get moved, TODAY. EVERY day managers guarantee this "mission outcome" to their own superiors, customers and owners of their business.

Most forklift operator trainers are keenly aware of at least one important fact, too: They are NOT the only form of professional services competing for management's budget dollars. If their client/managers can find a cheaper, better way to get the goods moved today, this week or this month, they are going to do it...and it may not include funding forklift operator training...whether in-house, or provided by an external consultant. ( Also, we ALL know that our respective government regulators are either reluctant, or not able, to do much more than they already have to shift more attention to training.)

So, operations managers will fund business performance from their budget so they can get the goods moved. Professional trainers, unless they have another source of income, need to know that they are going to get paid ONLY for training services provided. If their client/manager does NOT see operator training as important to his mission; his goals; his purpose... it puts the trainer into a common dilemma: somehow convince the operations manager to use AND pay for his services, find a different source of "meaningful" work and income, or just quit...and spend the rest of your days lamenting how trainers "don't get no respect"!

How might the dilemma get resolved?

Best wishes,

joe_m

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