UKWA's Roger Williams

The United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) is partnering with The Resources Group to provide materials handling equipment training for its members.

Courses include forklift, lorry-mounted crane, overhead gantry crane, large goods vehicle licence acquisition and driver assessments.

Training will be provided throughout the UK to the association's members at "preferential prices".

The courses, known as UKWA Training, can take place at members' sites or at one of The Resources Group's training centres at Eastbourne, Leighton Buzzard, Bradford and East Calder.

UKWA's chief executive officer, Roger Williams, says a trained workforce is one of the keys to advancing standards of professional competence in the warehousing sector.

"There are so many benefits to employing a professionally trained workforce. With well-trained forklift operators, turnaround time is quicker and smoother, and accidental damage to both the truck and the product being stored is reduced.

"A sympathetically driven forklift also enhances truck reliability and, needless to say, improves general safety throughout the facility where the truck is operational."

The Resources Group's Helen Peedell says UKWA members will have access to a nationwide network of fully qualified, accredited instructors who train with forklifts and other industrial workplace transport equipment.

"We are very much looking forward to working with UKWA and its members and believe that the scheme will be welcomed by the whole industry."

Established in 1944, UKWA has over 600 member companies that control nearly 100 million square feet (9,290,304 m) of warehousing space from nearly 1,300 locations in the UK. It was established as a trade body for the third-party warehousing sector but now includes all companies operating in a warehouse or distribution facility.

For more information, go to: www.ukwa.org.uk