Vital

Company background

A-Plant is one of the UK’s largest plant, tool and equipment hire companies, hiring a vast range of non-operated equipment, from power tools, cement mixers and accommodation units to excavators, compressors, scissor lifts and other types of equipment for industry and construction.

The company has a workforce of almost 1,900 people, based at locations nationwide. Health and Safety is of paramount importance to A-Plant and to ensure rigorous standards are maintained, employees receive stringent training on an ongoing basis, with the company making a substantial investment each year in its training and development programmes.

A partnership spanning a decade

Vital Skills Training has worked with A-Plant to deliver a wide range of training programmes over the past ten years to hundreds of employees. The training includes Personal Track Safety Courses to ensure safe working practices in proximity to railway lines; Training, Assessment, Quality, Assurance courses for employees looking to take up a role in assessments or internal quality assurance and Small Plant Courses to provide a better understanding of how to use rail-specific equipment such as disc-cutters and chainsaws.

“Safety is at the very heart of our company and the fundamental way in which we achieve our high standards is by ensuring each and every member of our workforce is adequately trained so that they can perform their roles productively and safely,” says Bob Harper, Head of Training at A-Plant.

He continued, “We operate in an industry where new training practices and legislation are constantly being introduced and it is crucial that we are up to speed with these changes.

“A-Plant has a long history of working with Vital Skills Training to deliver a variety of courses and qualifications to our employees over the past ten years. This training is predominantly around those areas of the business operating across the rail sector; however Vital Skills Training’s high level of competence means that their services are easily transferable to other areas of our business.”

According to Bob, because the highest standards of safety are required in the rail sector, the quality of Vital’s training programmes has to be second-to-none when it comes to providing training that meets strict health and safety requirements.

A-Plant’s values are fundamentally built on providing the best possible service to its customers. Vital shares these values and, crucially, their rail sector expertise means that they operate to rigorous health and safety criteria.

Putting people first pays

A-Plant recognises that staff and customer training is a sure way to build a happier and more motivated workforce and stronger business, and the company reaps significant benefits from its investment.

“At A-Plant we are constantly seeking to up-skill our workforce and identify training needs. With the support of Vital Skills Training we are able to bring staff up to the next level so they are achieving their potential. This ensures employees are given every opportunity to develop and progress in the company.

“From the company’s perspective this makes great business sense; we’ve seen staff retention rates improve and customers recognise that we employ a highly skilled and competent workforce which means they’re much more likely to continue to utilise our services. That’s why we happily and readily invest in training.

“The Vital team provides excellent training and support that we know we can rely on. Whenever we are working with them we are absolutely confident that the training they are delivering meets our high standards and is fit for purpose. It’s great to be in a position to work with a like-minded company like Vital Skills Training and we hope to continue our working relationship with them for the decade ahead.”

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