Rushlift, the provider of materials handling equipment (MHE), has opened a "Centre of Excellence" for training forklift truck maintenance engineers and drivers at its Northampton HQ.
The investment provides "state-of-the-art" facilities staffed with highly skilled trainers, allowing Rushlift to open-up its training capabilities to businesses across the country.
As a training provider accredited by the Association of Industrial Truck Trainers (AITT), Rushlift is now able to provide technical training courses and operator training for employees, apprentices, customers and businesses nationwide.
The new facilities include a training room capable of comfortably accommodating up to 16 trainees. A large screen TV is used to display presentations, with computer tablets available to access technical information.
The practical workshop area offers tooling, benches and diagnostic equipment for hands-on training. It is also used for operator training, allowing trainees to practice driving manoeuvres, such as stacking and de-stacking, using the dedicated racking. The centre also has its own canteen and toilet facilities.
Investment in people is the focus of the initiative. Bringing training in-house, Rushlift’s Centre of Excellence delivers induction training to new engineers joining the company and ensures that the company’s 150 field service engineers and apprentices are fully up-to-date on new truck models, technical developments, and best-practice maintenance procedures.
Operator training is another key activity, where AITT accreditation allows Rushlift to further develop the in-house skills of employees and offer fully certified forklift driver training courses to businesses nationwide, undertaken either at Rushlift’s Centre of Excellence in Northampton or at customer premises across the UK.
A core element of the investment is the training team itself. Along with Steve Briscall’s appointment to the role of National Training Manager in 2023, Sam Cook recently joined the team as Technical Training Manager bringing to the business 37 years of experience as a research and development technician, workshop supervisor, apprentice development officer, and technical trainer. Both managers have extensive experience in training and engineering having worked for one of the industry’s largest FLT manufacturers.
Steve Briscall, National Training Manager at Rushlift, explained: “Efficient, reliable materials handling equipment is absolutely critical to the profitable running of many businesses. Keeping forklift trucks both safe and efficient takes skilled service engineers and qualified drivers that are fully in-tune with their equipment.
“That’s why in-depth training and gaining the right skills is so essential. I’ve attended and delivered many training courses during my 29 years in this industry, and I’m proud to say that these are the best equipped training facilities that I’ve had the pleasure of working in.”
