We spoke to FORS Training Manager, Alice Busnati, to get the inside scoop on FORS training and what’s to come in 2023.

Can you give us an overview of FORS’ training offering?

Training is one of the core facets of FORS, and we offer a wide variety of FORS Professional training courses that are suitable for all kinds of fleets, from Heavy Good Vehicles (HGV) and Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCV), to vans, cars and motorcycles.

FORS Professional includes comprehensive training courses and eLearning modules for both drivers and managers, and we also provide a range of toolkits, which managers can draw upon to embed knowledge across their business.

FORS is currently re-launching its FORS Practitioner suite of training for managers. Can you tell us a bit more about the changes?

FORS Practitioner was launched in 2011 and since then, over 40,000 fleet managers have undergone the training and 3,000 have attained FPRS Practitioner status. Over the last few months, following extensive feedback from operators, our FORS Professional courses have undergone a full technical and creative re-design to ensure our training remains engaging and reflective of current industry needs.

In 2023, we will continue to evolve our FORS Practitioner training to offer more flexibility. Throughout next year, the FORS community can therefore expect a raft of updates and improvements – driven by operator feedback. For example, managers will soon be able to tailor their training courses to suit their needs by completing the six mandatory courses, before selecting a further four from a range of current and new FORS Practitioner courses to make up their certification.

What about drivers? Can you tell us a bit more about the importance of driver training to the FORS community?

A significant element of the FORS mission is to promote best practice in fleet operations and help improve road safety for all road users. Encouraging continuous professional development can add real value to drivers’ everyday operations, as well as raising the profile of drivers as a professional workforce.

FORS firmly believes that promoting role-specific courses such as Safe Urban Driving and VanSmart to drivers, as well as building safety protocols into work schedules for other transport-related staff, encourages a positive mindset and an engaged workforce.

To date, our Safe Urban Driving training course has been completed by over 118,000 drivers across the UK and is recognised by other accreditation schemes in their requirement modules.

FORS eLearning modules also provide an easy and efficient way to deliver driver training via FORS online. Driver modules such as Cycle Safety, Van Smart and Pedestrian Safe are all key parts of the FORS Bronze Requirements.

2023 is shaping up to be a busy year then…

Absolutely! FORS remains committed to offering comprehensive and industry-led training for everyone in the transport sector – be it drivers, transport managers or fleet operators. Working together and focusing on people and their professional development, we’ve already proven how much can be achieved and we look forward to evolving our training offer in line with the dynamic industry in which we operate.