Train to gain
Training is vital for career progression in the Lifting Industry, no matter what role you are in or where in the world you work – but it must be the right training, says Ian Cooke, Director of Academy at LEEA.
Estimating the number of people working within the global Lifting Industry is a little difficult, given it covers so many sectors and job roles. Crane operators alone are likely to number hundreds of thousands worldwide and how many technicians and engineers are responsible for maintaining and designing lifting equipment? Let’s not forget higher level occupations such as managers, technical positions and other professionals. Add indirect roles, such as suppliers, and it’s a fair guess that the global lifting industry headcount could likely surpass 10 million.
It is vital that all of these people working within this huge, important, widespread and potentially hazardous industry should have the necessary and recognisable skills to ensure best practice, efficiency and safety. Many will have already gained advantage from training but there are countless more who can still benefit. The quality of education and training they receive is increasingly crucial in terms of ensuring that workers can adapt rapidly to changing environments. This is vital for a Lifting Industry undergoing continual change due to such things as technological developments, growth in developing economies and the ever-present need to ensure safety.
Employers in our sector are concerned about the future supply of workers – think again about that global industry head count and how it needs to be continually replenished. Technology will replace some human activity, such as taking over roles that incur risk to personnel, though it is more often the case for technology to work collaboratively with people, rather than replace them. The knowledge and skills of those workers will therefore need to evolve in tandem.
This actually adds further value through its positive role in attracting young, tech-savvy people to our sector. However, they will want to see the training opportunities that provide the path to career progression. And, of course, before they can ever consider a career in our sector, they are going to need to understand what our sector is and what it does – a need LEEA has responded to through initiatives such as its Think Lifting campaign.
Training in excellence
With all these changes going on, our industry needs not only to simply put training in place, but it must have the right training, which gives workers the right skills. Best practice training means having quality trainers that can teach classes whether they are in a classroom, at a business location or online. The course content should be of a high standard and must engage the student. The resources provided and the environment in which training takes place needs to be conducive to learning and to gaining as much from the course as possible – irrespective of where the training is conducted. The training provider should also support the trainee and their employer as they continue their professional development.
Every learner wants to evolve their career and LEEA can deliver what its members need to advance their progression. And while on that journey they will add enormous value to their customers, in addition to being laser-focused on best practice in their field. For employers, the benefit will show up on the bottom line. For the Lifting Industry, training nurtures professionalism, expertise and diligence when it comes to working in safety.
More employers now realise that they need to employ people with a LEEA qualification because our training provides a global mark of excellence for employers seeking productive, innovative and expert staff who can provide their customers with the highest quality of service. Our courses are designed to deliver content that is not only engaging and enjoyable but also effective, with trainees gaining genuinely useful knowledge to give them confidence to be good in their jobs or to go out and get the job they want.
So it is important that we at LEEA continue to create training that delivers for the learner and for the employer in terms of developing professional competence. Learners can access LEEA’s training through a variety of options. These include instructor-led training at our purpose-built training centre, regional training sessions or in-company delivery upon request.
To meet the growing global demand for LEEA courses, we offer Virtual Classroom sessions. These sessions are engaging and interactive, allowing learners to receive real-time feedback while participating from any location without the need for travel. And for on-demand learning, all our courses are available via eLearning.
Whichever method learners choose, they will receive our full support and have access to digital materials through the LEEA Academy App. Essentially, training is accessible anywhere with an Internet connection and a web browser, providing a genuine choice of delivery methods and making it easier for more people to progress their careers.
There is a broader imperative for the Lifting Industry: it needs skills if it is to fulfil its future business growth potential. At LEEA, we are confident that employers, their customers and end users will all benefit from knowledgeable, skilled and confident staff as a result of training.
For further information on LEEA training, visit leeaint.com/learning.
