The outgoing year marked the end of an era for the UK Material Handling Association and with 2025 set to be such an important twelve months for the industry, the sector’s premier trade association is preparing for the challenges ahead with a twin focus on attracting new talent to the industry and improving safety standards.
Following the retirement of long-serving stalwart Tim Waples, the man charged with delivering the combined strategy is new chief executive, Rob Fisher. In addition to driving member engagement and overseeing day-to-day operations, the association will be looking at the bigger picture. Receiving special attention will be the attraction of new talent to secure the long-term future of the material handling industry.
Key to this is the launch of the association’s first apprenticeship scheme. This initiative has been created to help UKMHA members and the wider material handling industry develop and nurture the next generation of skilled workers.
“UKMHA recognises that apprentices can deliver a vast array of benefits to businesses,” said Rob. “Our scheme is a fantastic opportunity for businesses across the UK to ensure they have a highly skilled workforce in place so they can look to the future with confidence. Firms taking on new apprentices also benefit from funding schemes to cover training costs.”
To deliver the strategy, the UKMHA has partnered with SMB College Group to ensure the skills programme continues to meet the needs of the industry. With automation and new technology continuing to characterise future generation lift trucks, it is vital new recruits can keep pace with innovation.
In addition to the apprenticeship programme, UKMHA is also promoting 11 new technical training courses, including Lift Truck LPG Fuel Systems (Operating Safely), Working on High Voltage Lift Trucks, Lift Truck Electrical Charger Connection and Isolation, Lift Truck Hydraulics and many more. Taking place at the SMB’s Stephenson Campus in Leicestershire, each course is delivered by highly trained professionals.
Promotion of the apprenticeship and training programmes will be a key aspect of UKMHA’s involvement with IMHX 2025. The industry showpiece, taking place at the NEC Birmingham in September, will highlight all that is new in the industry, especially the advances in MHE design and the growing importance of automation.
Unlike previous years, National Forklift Safety Day 2024 was a multi-stage campaign involving the phased release of resources across a seven-month period. Focussed on incident prevention and response, and supported by the tagline ‘Prevent – Manage – Learn’, the programme helped to widen the scope of NFSD beyond a single day, helping achieve the ambition of making ‘every day National Forklift Safety Day’.
Rob added: “Our goal is to ensure that everyone working in the material handling industry can do so safely and securely. NFSD will continue to be the association’s strongest tool in the promotion of a safer industry.”
