Coalville-based palletised freight distribution network Pall-Ex is celebrating after its CPC training provision was recognised at the first-ever Training Awards.

At the ceremony, held last month at Manchester Airport's Radisson Blu hotel, Pall-Ex triumphed in the 'Outstanding Training Team' category, recognising the investment the business has made in its training offering.

Twelve months ago, Pall-Ex became the first UK pallet network to offer in-house CPC training to its entire operational workforce and UK membership.

Named the Pall-Ex CPC Academy, the course comprises of two modules that can be completed in one day. 

Although the course entails an element of online training, the majority is delivered in person by a qualified expert trainer.

For ultimate convenience, all academy training is held on a Saturday so as not to disrupt general driver working patterns.

The Academy has adapted its CPC offering to include: practical exercises, driver engagement sessions and ISO-accredited training material. The course is delivered at Pall-Ex's Leicestershire hub, remotely or a hybrid of the two.

The industry-first academy and subsequent award win was made possible by Pall-Ex recruiting Craig Brown, formerly of the 2^nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, where he served as Troop Sergeant Major.

During his tenure with the Armed Forces, Craig honed his strong people skills and deep understanding of the importance of leading a united team – skills he has now brought to the CPC Training Academy.

With more than 30 years of logistics experience, including being a driver himself for many years, Craig brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the academy.

Craig said: "I'm grateful to have the opportunity to share my skills with the drivers, helping to expand their knowledge.

"I love training the drivers, especially with everyone interacting with the course and sharing their knowledge and experience with the group.

"It's very exciting to be able to lead the first training provision of its kind to be delivered by a UK network, and I'm incredibly proud to see the Academy recognised at the first ever Safety Summit Awards."

Since its launch, the CPC academy has trained 150 drivers, with a total of 250 expected to have completed the course by the end of this year.

Each driver receives a certificate of attendance upon completing the course, with Pall-Ex also adding the training session to each attendee's Driver CPC training record within a few days of course completion.

Paul Pegg, Operations Director added: "We're extremely proud of bringing first-to-market initiatives to the pallet network sector, and being recognised for the hard work and dedication of our CPC academy team is a great achievement. Craig, Joseph, Anita and Clayton have worked hard establishing the Academy over the last 12 months and were among some fierce competition on the night, to see them take home the win was fantastic."