Open calendar for forklift and reach truck training.

Theory can also be done in e-learning

With three training centers in Flanders and the Brussels periphery and more than five thousand students annually, Formaz is a major player in the market. Many organizations come to this Evergem-based company for high-quality training courses on intra-logistics and safety.

Formaz, which went by the name of Athetys from 2006 to 2018, began its activities on the sites of the Port of Brussels as a partner of HR firm Manpower and forklift company Havelange. Today, it has expanded its field of activity to the whole of Belgium and to all sectors in need of training on mobile work equipment in the broad sense of the word. "The most important part of our offer is still the forklift and reach truck training, but in addition you can also come to us for all other training related to rolling stock. Think of overhead cranes and machines for earthmoving, but also more specific logistics equipment such as combi trucks and order pickers," says Bart Wauters, Operations and Sales Manager. "A second important part of our training portfolio is the five-yearly mandatory refresher courses for truck drivers. The third pillar within Formaz unites all training courses around prevention such as firefighting, first aid and VCA. In short, safety training that does not belong under the scope internal transport."

E-learning

Until corona, both the theoretical and practical parts of a training course took place in Evergem, Ham near Tessenderlo and Machelen near Vilvoorde. Formaz has a dozen or so permanent instructors on the payroll, supplemented by many freelancers for the more specialized offerings. "The courses continue in Dutch, French and increasingly in English. We work with an open calendar for our forklift and reach truck training in a high-frequency offering. During the corona period, only the 1-on-1 practical training could be organized on site. The theory classes went into e-learning mode. This hybrid form remained popular after corona. Although even for the theoretical part, most customers really continue to favor physical lessons."

Certificate

The advantage of the online classes is that employees can take them at their earliest convenience. "Just log on to the computer or smartphone and you can view the lessons. This tool is often used in in-company training where the employer offers the practice in their company, but asks employees to go through the theory in advance." 

"The online lessons end with some test questions that prepare them for the actual exam. That can only be taken physically. The subsequent practical test is always individual. You pass if 70% appears on your report for both parts. Adequate training is required to obtain the certificate stipulated in the Welfare Code. Only with such a certificate in their pocket may employees perform safety functions."

MyFormaz 

All students who have ever taken a course at Formaz are listed in the online database 'MyFormaz. "We ask our trainers to create a feedback report each time. Both candidate and client find this in the database, as does the certificate, which is created and stored digitally. Every client has a login for the online portal and can consult the training history of their employees there. Since certificates have a validity period of five years, the database sends automatic and timely reminders to the client's contact person."

"Who then knows it's time to schedule a refresher course. Finally, bookings and scheduling of open training courses can also be managed through MyFormaz. This way, the client always has an up-to-date overview of the scheduled training courses, but can also easily take care of things themselves such as replacing a sick candidate or rescheduling a training course."

Support measures

Employee training is actively encouraged with financial incentives. Formaz guides its clients through the maze of support measures and helps them find the most optimal subsidy scheme. This way, part of the training costs can be recovered. Formaz also has a number of training courses that are recognized within the framework of the Flemish training leave. To qualify, you have to follow at least 32 hours of training for one specific device.