GURGAON, India, September 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Organised by ThinkLink Learning's Praguṇa in Partnership With RTITB, UK, 'Forklift Operator of the Year - India' is now Nearing its First Regional Heat Scheduled to Happen on 29th September in Chennai
With the backing of renowned organisations such as the National Skill Development Corporation, World Skills India, Jungheinrich, Godrej Material Handling, Nilkamal, Rhenus Logistics, TVS Logistics Service Ltd, Mahindra Logistics, Reed Manch, Cargo Connect and Forkliftaction.com, competition has spread far and wide. In fact, competition is being recognized for its novel nature and the objective to bring awareness of correct skilling, safety and recognition of the operatives in the logistics industry.
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"The competition is an excellent attempt to give long overdue recognition to our unsung heroes working in our plants and warehouses across the country. An initiative like this provides our operators an opportunity to test themselves against the best in the world. Over a period of time, initiatives like these will improve the safety and efficiency standards of our forklift operators in the country and also raise the aspirations levels and self-esteem of the operators," explains Mr. R Shankar, CEO India Operations, TVS Logistics Services Ltd.
Further, Sushil Rathi, COO of Mahindra Logistics Limited explains, "At Mahindra Logistics we are cognizant of the fact that drivers - commercial vehicle, forklift, special equipment - are the backbone of the logistics industry, and hence, their welfare and safety forms an indispensable component of our social imperatives. We are therefore delighted to partner with Thinklink to help create a skilled pool of vocational roles; this will not only lead to a more rewarding work experience for the employees but also for employers like us who will benefit from faster learning curves."
There is a great excitement in the logistics and material handling industry towards this competition. As a result, the number of organisations participating in this competition has soared to more than 40 in a very limited time.
"Right skilling, especially for the lift truck drivers is very critical in the logistics industry. It's important to sensitize the drivers not only about various aspects of driving like speed, parking, and effective usage of PPE's etc., it is also imperative for them to know the nature of products being handled and various HSE related aspects. Through an initiative like this, the material handling operators will get recognized and get rewarded which will act as a motivation for them to perform even better in times to come. It will also create aspirations amongst other to win an award like that in the future," says Paramjit Saini, Director - PAN India Contract Logistics, Rhenus Logistics India Private Ltd.
Being a pan-India initiative this competition is being held in four major cities, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi on 29th September, 9th October, 13th October and 19th October respectively, with the grand finale scheduled to be held on 19th November in Praguṇa's flagship logistics training center in Dharuhera, Haryana.
"Being a market leader, we consider it a responsibility to spread the importance of right operator skills in material handling. And, this initiative will motivate companies to look at material handling operations as an activity requiring defined skills and hence support continuous training to achieve the same," says Arnab Ghosh, Manager - Marketing Communication, Godrej Material Handling.
Free registration, nomination and exciting rewards for both participants and organisations alike are just some of the reasons why the industry is looking forward to this event. Along with the esteemed title of 'Forklift Operator of the Year - India', the winner will receive a trophy and a trip to England to participate in the UK's 2016 Operator of the Year competition. All grand finale qualifiers will receive free RTITB training and certification as well as a host of other exciting prizes. Moreover, companies nominating a minimum of four operators for all regions will also have the opportunity to participate in the 'Best Forklift Workforce of the Year' award.
"The Operator of the Year competition is a fantastic way for warehouses, distribution centres and manufacturing centres to position themselves as leaders in lift truck related safety and efficiency," explains Saurabh Goyal of ThinkLink Learning. He further added that, "It is also great for their employees, to advance their careers and receive some recognition for their ongoing hard work and skills."
In the UK, RTITB has been hosting its prestigious, tri-annual 'Forklift Operator of the Year' competition since 2008, with many previous entrants going on to become forklift training instructors.
"The Operator of the Year competition demonstrates the difference a highly trained, skilled operative can make to an operation and recognises forklift operators and employers that are striving to achieve levels of excellence," explains Laura Nelson, Managing Director of RTITB. "Unskilled workers pose a very real threat to safety and efficiency for businesses, as well as putting themselves and colleagues at risk. As the supply chain and logistics market continues to grow in India, RTITB's work with ThinkLink Learning aims to prevent the proliferation of unskilled materials handling equipment operators. Logistics operations rely on efficiency for profitability, all too often this translates into doing things at speed which often has the opposite effect. We need to ensure that forklift operators understand that accuracy and skill are the best ways to achieve maximum efficiency," Laura added.
ThinkLink Learning began working with RTITB earlier this year to launch Praguṇa, an initiative for outstanding vocational skilling in logistics, and India's only RTITB accredited Lift Truck Driving certification provider.
About Praguna:
ThinkLink Supply Chain Services is the leading voice in India for the reimagining of supply chains in a connected and on-demand business environment. ThinkLink works through its supply chain engineering, material handling automation, and supply chain talent assurance teams to create outsized value for clients.
Praguna is a sector building initiative of ThinkLink focusing on partnering with businesses, professionals, and other stakeholders to create the people talent engine for supply chain organizations. Its supply chain hub programs provide skill development at first line supervisor level upwards and the Praguna and Praguna+ initiatives seek to drive skill development and career growth for operatives in direct specialist roles.
About RTITB:
RTITB provides businesses with effective tools to train people and supports them to ensure the training is delivered correctly. We believe passionately in the role that training plays in improving safety and increasing efficiency in the workplace. Over 130,000 professionals from these industries already attend RTITB courses every year.
To enter or nominate for 'Forklift Operator of the Year - India', fill in the simple online form at: www.thinklinklearning.in/operator-of-the-year-2015.html
For more information about the competition, visit: http://www.thinklinklearning.in/competition-structure.html
Media Contact:
Manvi Goyal
[email protected]
+91-9873924539
Director, Thinklink-SCS
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