AITT urges recruiters to widen accreditation criteria

Accrediting body warns agencies that they might be limiting their potential recruitment pool

Recruitment ads for forklift operators often specify particular accrediting bodies, but that practice could be unnecessarily excluding capable, qualified candidates.

Many agencies still request operators only with accreditation from one or two bodies. This is despite the fact that all ABA members (AITT, ITSSAR, LANTRA, NPORS, and RTITB) follow the same Code of Practice, developed with support from the Health and Safety Executive.

By naming only one or two accrediting bodies, agencies risk dismissing a large number of skilled operators. Anyone trained under an ABA member’ accredited training meets exactly the same benchmark. Changing job adverts to say ‘accredited training’ widens the talent pool without lowering standards.

The whole point of the ABA is consistency. If an operator holds ABA-recognised training, they are competent to the same level. Recruiters who reflect that in their adverts will find it easier to fill vacancies in a competitive hiring market.

Recruitment agencies are encouraged to review legacy templates and ensure their job descriptions reflect the full range of ABA-recognised accreditations.

For guidance on appropriate forklift-training terminology, agencies can contact AITT or the ABA.