A UK forklift driver unhappy with existing forklift driver training has established his own school to give students "the personal touch".

Denis Gledhill, 44, has driven forklifts for 25 years. Before he launched DG Truck Training, he was in charge of training forklift operators for a Cadbury Schweppes factory in Sheffield, which operated 70 forklifts.

"My job was to train new employees and give refresher training to old drivers," Gledhill said.

"There was a lot of pressure on the trainer and drivers to perform to a high standard without building fundamental skills first."

In December 2005, Gledhill established his business with a bursary award from the Stocksbridge Training & Enterprise Partnership, funded by the UK Steel Enterprise's community support program.

He said each training program was tailored to meet individual students' needs.

"I give the students the time they need to learn the skills because everyone picks things up differently. A lot of students are foreigners so there is also a language barrier."

To date, Gledhill has trained and certified about 75 forklift operators in a fruit and vegetable warehouse in Ecclesfield.

Gledhill is an accredited trainer with two independent UK bodies, the Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register (ITSSAR) and the Road Transport Industry Training Board (RTITB).

UK Steel Enterprise is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Corus Group plc that aims to improve the economies in parts of the UK affected by changes in the steel industry.