• The term forklift licence is commonly used, but there is no physical licence like a driving licence.
• Instead, when people say “forklift licence,” they usually mean that someone has completed basic forklift-truck safety and operation training and received a certificate of training.
• This certificate allows the person to operate a forklift safely and competently.

Who needs a forklift licence?

• Anyone who drives or operates a forklift — whether as their main job or only occasionally — should have passed the required basic training.
• This includes employees in warehousing, construction, logistics, or any business where lifting/manipulating materials by forklift is involved.

Who can apply for forklift training?

According to the relevant code of practice:

• Must have reached the minimum school-leaving age (typically 16, though many workplaces set 18).
• Must have a good understanding of spoken and written English.
• Should have a reasonable level of physical fitness, suitable for operating machinery safely.

Completing this training can be a useful step for school leavers or apprentices starting a career in warehousing or construction.

How long does it take, cost, and what it allows you to do?

Does a driving licence matter?

• You do not need a UK driving licence to take the forklift training course or to operate a forklift on private property.
• However, if you plan to drive the forklift on public roads, then you must have a valid full UK driving licence.

Licence validity: Does it expire or need renewing?

• Unlike driving licences in the UK, forklift-certification certificates from basic training do not expire, and are often treated as lifelong qualifications.
• Despite this, many employers offer refresher or conversion courses — either to reacquaint operators with machinery after a break, or to train them on different types of lift trucks.
• The refresher or conversion courses are optional and may be requested based on business needs; they are not a legal requirement to “renew” the certificate.

Are there different types of forklift licences?

• No — there are no different “forklift licences” as such.
• What does vary is the type of training course (novice, experienced, refresher, conversion), and the type of forklift truck you are trained to operate.
• Training courses offered by providers (like SB Skills Solutions) are often accredited by recognised bodies such as National Plant Operators Registration Scheme (NPORS).

Choosing the right forklift training: What to consider

When deciding how to obtain a forklift-vehicle operator certificate, it depends on:

1. Your prior experience — if you have none, choose a full “novice” course; if you already have experience, a shorter conversion or refresher might be enough.
2. The type of forklift used — different forklifts (counterbalance, reach, stacker, etc.) may need different training.
3. Budget and time availability — full courses are longer and cost more; refresher courses are quicker and cheaper.
4. Employer requirements — some employers may require refresher training or extra safety modules tailored to their workplace.

Summary: What you should know

1. The so-called “forklift licence” is really a certificate of training, not a government-issued licence.
2. Anyone who operates a forklift — even occasionally — should have completed proper training.
3. Training typically takes 3–5 days for novices, or 1–2 days for conversion/refresher courses.
4. After successful training, you get a paper certificate — legal and valid indefinitely.
5. For public-road use of forklifts, you also need a valid UK driving licence

Looking to start forklift truck training?

SB Skills provides accredited forklift training delivered by experienced instructors in a safe and supportive environment. Our team offers professional, relevant training for individuals and employees who want to develop new skills or improve workplace safety.

If you need help choosing the right course, our trainers and support staff are available to assist you.

To discuss your requirements, call 01695 558 420 or email info@sbskills.co.uk to submit your enquiry.

The post How to obtain a forklift licence appeared first on SB Skills Solutions.

Investigations into Fraud and Malpractice

NPORS started this bulletin with an announcement about investigations into various training facilities during the lockdown period this year. NPORS stated, “As the result of these investigations we have terminated the accreditation of 5 training providers and their instructors”.

NPORS mention instructors being terminated with the training providers, which could mean that NPORS instructors associated with centres that are not operating within NPORS guidelines, could see themselves also being struck off the scheme by association.

While NPORS has remained fairly quiet on this and not given much away in terms of who is involved and what kind of offences were committed, they have mentioned that it was related to fraud and malpractice, the rest is up to interpretation really.

New Health & Safety Courses

For many years, the industry has been ruled by a few accreditations in terms of Health and Safety training, especially for broad roles. NPORS has recently been working extremely hard to design industry-relevant courses to ensure that employers are able to access “a broader portfolio of qualifications for their employees”.

The new courses are recognised by Build UK and are listed in the Build UK training standard. More importantly for businesses, NPORS have also worked alongside CITB to make the courses eligible for CITB grant claims, having mapped them against relevant standards. This means that you can still get all of the benefits of CITB grant claims while undertaking NPORS Health and Safety courses at the same standard of training.

Marketing Department

If you are interested in NPORS training, you can see pictures of various training categories on their social feeds. Having now opened their own dedicated marketing department in the business, NPORS are on top of social media uploads, posting images of training on their pages. If you want to make sure that you don’t miss a thing, and judging by September’s bulletin, you won’t, make sure that you stay up to date with all of their upcoming changes by following them.

Alternatively, we will be staying up to date and giving you the latest insights from our perspective on all channels.

The post NPORS Exclusive Update appeared first on SB Skills Solutions.

CPCS or the Construction Plant Competency Scheme is a plant-based accreditation that tests a delegates knowledge and competency on the machine of choice.

This accreditation uses a 2-card scheme to confirm levels of competency and training. The Red Trained Operator card is the first card in the scheme which expires after a 2 year period which can then be upgraded with the NVQ. The Red Trained Operator card can be achieved by passing the theory and practical test at our centre in Burscough. Once you pass these tests you will receive the card and be free to operate the plant machinery that you have achieved.

This card can be upgraded using the NVQ which will change your Red Trained Operator card into a Blue Competent Operator card. This card lasts a further 5-years and can be renewed easily with a renewal test and a validated log book with 300 operator hours.

CPCS is probably the most widely accepted card scheme on construction sites, as contractors will almost never turn someone away because of having a CPCS card. This is mainly down to it originally being run by CITB, which is the training board for the entirety of the UK. CPCS is now being run by NOCN which is another major awarding body that works on a global scale.

What is NPORS

The National Plant Operators Registration Scheme, is a plant-based accreditation like CPCS, consists of a similar card scheme with a few exceptions. This awarding body has 3 cards, the “Traditional NPORS card”, the “Red Trained Operator card” and the “Blue Competent Operator card”.

NPORS works like CPCS with the red card and the blue card as you undertake similar tests. The main differences come from the cost, the testing and the traditional card that they offer.

Starting with the cost of the NPORS training and testing. NPORS, tends to be the cheaper option compared to CPCS as the training and testing can be held on your own site, provided the area is adequate. This can help to cut down on travel costs, equipment hire. Costs can also be cut from the training provider’s side, as they don’t have to use their own training area which means they can offset the cost benefits to you!

The testing with NPORS also differs from CPCS slightly, especially in the theory testing area. The theory test consists of fewer questions than CPCS which may work in your favour if you’re stronger on the practical side of operating plant machinery.

Finally, the traditional card offered by NPORS. This card is not as accepted as the newer cards that they offer as they don’t have the CSCS logo on. Construction sites like to see that the card is recognised by CSCS, so they prefer that operators have CPCS or the new NPORS cards with the CSCS logo. This isn’t to say that the card is useless by any means. If you are operating on a private site that only requires a card to prove that you can operate for insurance or safety purposes, they may well accept this card.

If you’re interested in learning more about NPORS. Take a look and see if NPORS is the best option for you.

Which is better?

Well, that’s not for us to say but there are a number of benefits to both of the card schemes. If you’re considering working on large contractor’s sites then CPCS may be the option for you, however many of the larger contractors are now accepting the NPORS card. If you already have a job lined up or you’re considering upskilling on your site, then it’s probably best to ask your company if NPORS or CPCS are accepted before making your decision.

Browse our course calendar and book your next CPCS or NPORS course.

The post The difference between NPORS and CPCS appeared first on SB Skills Solutions.