Only six years after the introduction of the qualification, FORS has hit a huge milestone as Scott Sharkey from Les Smith Haulage has become the 1,000th FORS Practitioner.
Part of the dedicated FORS Professional training programme, the highly regarded Practitioner syllabus is a series of 10 workshops covering the full breadth of skills incumbent upon today’s transport managers.
The first Practitioner qualification was awarded in April 2012 and the rapid growth of Practitioners in the last six years is testament to its popularity among members.
Scott Sharkey, Transport Planner at FORS Silver member Les Smith Haulage in Swindon, is now part of a fast-growing community of transport professionals who have raised their game by attending the full series of Practitioner workshops, equipping themselves with essential knowledge to help with the day-to-day running of their operation.
Speaking on the Practitioner workshops, Scott said: “Thanks to the information provided at the FORS workshops, I gained knowledge across many different aspects of the business. I also found it very interesting to hear experiences from other members.” Scott added, “The ‘Managing noise in logistics’ and ‘Reducing fuel use and minimising environmental impacts’ workshops have highlighted the benefits of evaluating options such as electric Moffett trucks for our specialised deliveries in sensitive urban areas. In addition to minimising our environmental impacts, the reputation of our company is always a high priority.
“As a direct result of the training, we are looking to implement an in-house training programme specifically geared towards our Moffett and tail lift deliveries as well as customer care training.”
Les Smith Haulage is one of 985 Silver accredited operators reaping the benefits of FORS best practice. “Looking forward, Gold is the next obvious step for us,” said Scott.
Funded Practitioner workshops are held nationally and may be undertaken in any order, with Practitioner status attained only when all 10 workshops are completed. A comprehensive and detailed set of workshops, the topics range from ‘Managing driver fitness and health’ to the recently added ‘Managing noise in logistics’.
FORS Operations Director, Anne Johnson, said: “Reaching 1,000 Practitioners gives me a huge sense of pride on behalf of FORS and its members. FORS supports personal development through its dedicated driver and manager training programme and the Practitioner workshops provide essential information for managers to better execute their daily responsibilities.” Anne added: “Congratulations to Scott on achieving the FORS Practitioner qualification and on raising his game.”
FORS requires all members with Bronze, Silver and Gold accreditation to demonstrate that staff undergo approved, progressive training.
Les Smith Haulage distributes and collects goods from anywhere in the UK to ensure customers’ needs are fully catered for. The company says that having FORS Silver has expanded its delivery destinations including construction and events, with all staff trained to enforce the higher safety standards as part of its commitment to best practice.
For more information on Practitioner workshops, click here.
