The importance of warehouse training

“What do you do for a living?”, I asked
“I am just a storeman, what do you do?”
“I teach people not to say ‘just’”, I replied

This conversation took place several years ago and it is as relevant today as it was then…. Maybe more.

A storeman who believes that he is not worthy, will act accordingly.   Why does he believe that his role is not important? Not only has society told him that, but his work colleagues and managers treat him that way.  Storemen don’t get fancy lunches -  they get the second or third hand furniture and they are dumped on by all and appreciated by few.

Conversely, storemen with NZQA-recognised qualifications in warehousing:
-    feel better about themselves, have inner strength and therefore act more professionally
-    they follow processes better and generally will strive to make improvements
-    they take more care in their appearance and communicate better
-    feel a secret pride out the certificate on the wall – in fact, one guy once told me “this is not just the only certificate that I have, this is the first certificate anyone in my family has”  Now that is life-changing.

Generally, we can get government subsidies to make this training very cost effective.   

Keith Robinson
Managing Director
www.supplychain.co.nz