LANTRA certified training for Council Staff

Peter Driverin Industry News

BasingstokeCutting Edge Training, the independent training division of Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd., has successfully carried out a number of training courses for operators of ride-on mowers employed by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. Ransomes Jacobsen is a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT).

Operations Manager for Environmental Care, Steve Featherstone, who sanctioned the training said, "The decision to train was based on a number of reasons, but the main driver was a large repair bill for our fleet throughout the 2008 season. We had two choices available to us; we could blame a loyal team of operators who had just worked their way though one of the toughest seasons for mowing operations I have known or find a way where we can better equip our operators for the following season."

This is where Ransomes Jacobsen's Customer Support and Training Manager Jason King stepped in. The Cutting Edge Training team can deliver operator training to Lantra or NPTC standards and will provide the customer with the best package for their particular working environment. In this instance the Lantra package was the best option for the operators at Basingstoke and Deane."

"We are now well into the 2009 cutting season," said Steve Featherstone, "and have seen the benefits that the training has produced. The training was delivered professionally and effectively and I have had nothing but positive feedback from the staff. The results speak for themselves. We will now be looking to Cutting Edge Training to evaluate further training needs, specifically with regard to our brushcutting operations."

Cutting Edge Training's Will Carr commented, "We trained a large number of staff at Basingstoke and Dean in groups of four. The 'Walled Garden' location and facilities were ideal for this type of training, but the best part was the genuine want to learn attitude and interest shown from all the operators. When training experienced operators it is not always easy to keep their attention, but with the open discussions that were part of every session I could soon assess how to proceed. I believe the positive attitudes are a sign of a well managed team."

"Professional operator training is a valuable tool that managers and operators have at there disposal. Health and Safety is such a big part of all our businesses now that training is vital to ensure that we all comply. But I think the example of Basingstoke and Dean proves that it is much more than just an H and S exercise. Effective training can bring more to a business than just a protection policy. In the current climate training could well be overlooked, but a well trained operator can become more efficient as well as working safer. "

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