Scott Sharkey from Les Smith Haulage has become the 1,000th FORS Practitioner, six years after the qualification was introduced.

The Practitioner syllabus is a series of ten workshops that form part of the FORS Professional training programme.

Sharkey, transport planner at FORS Silver member Les Smith Haulage in Swindon said: “Thanks to the information provided at the FORS workshops, I gained knowledge across many different aspects of the business. I also found it very interesting to hear experiences from other members."

He found the 'Managing noise in logistics' and 'Reducing fuel use and minimising environmental impacts' workshops particularly useful for his company’s specialised deliveries in sensitive urban areas.

“As a direct result of the training, we are looking to implement an in-house training programme specifically geared towards our Moffett and tail lift deliveries as well as customer care training,” added Sharkey.

Les Smith Haulage is one of 985 FORS Silver accredited operators.

Funded FORS Practitioner workshops are held nationally and may be undertaken in any order, with FORS Practitioner status attained only when all ten workshops are completed.

FORS operations director, Anne Johnson, said: “Reaching 1,000 FORS Practitioner gives me a huge sense of pride on behalf of FORS and its members. FORS supports personal development through its dedicated driver and manager training programme and the FORS Practitioner workshops provide essential information for managers to better execute their daily responsibilities."