Over 105,000 ABA Accredited MHE Certificates Issued in 2025
Another strong year for the materials handling industry has seen members of the Accrediting Bodies Association for Workplace Transport (ABA) issue 105,899 accredited training certificates during the 2025 calendar year.
This represents an increase on 2024 and reinforces the important role that accredited training continues to play in supporting safe operation, ongoing competence, and recognised standards across workplace transport.
2025 Certificate Breakdown
The latest figures show continued demand for accredited operator training across the most widely used lift truck categories:
- Counterbalance Lift Truck
- Novice, experienced and conversion: 41,379
- Refresher: 48,721
- Reach Truck
- Novice, experienced and conversion: 9,223
- Refresher: 6,576
These figures highlight the scale of training delivered by ABA members, as well as the ongoing commitment from employers and operators to both initial training and regular skills refreshment.
What the 2025 Data Tells Us
The 2025 figures point to several clear trends across the sector:
Overall certificate volumes have increased
With 105,899 certificates issued in 2025, volumes were up from 103,196 in 2024. This suggests that demand for accredited training remains strong and that employers continue to see value in recognised, quality-assured training.
Counterbalance training continues to dominate
Counterbalance remains by far the largest category, with 90,100 certificates issued in 2025 across novice, experienced, conversion and refresher training. This underlines its continued importance across warehousing, logistics and materials handling operations.
Refresher training remains especially important
Refresher volumes were again strong in 2025, particularly in Counterbalance, where refresher training (48,721) exceeded novice, experienced and conversion volumes (41,379). This reflects the continued focus on maintaining operator competence, reinforcing safe working practices, and supporting employer compliance.
Reach Truck training has shown recovery
Reach Truck volumes increased in 2025 compared with 2024, particularly in novice, experienced and conversion training. This may indicate renewed investment in operator development in higher-density warehousing environments, following a softer year in 2024.
Why Accredited Training Matters
Choosing accredited training through an ABA member is an investment in safety, standards and credibility. Here is why it matters:
Compliance confidence
Accredited training helps employers meet legal and regulatory expectations, including those set out in HSE guidance.
Quality assurance
Training delivered through ABA members is subject to auditing, providing an additional layer of accountability and consistency.
Industry recognition
Certificates issued by ABA members are recognised and respected across the workplace transport industry.
Support for competence
Accredited training helps operators develop, maintain and demonstrate the knowledge and practical skills needed to work safely and effectively.
Employer reassurance
Employers benefit from a more consistent and transparent training framework, helping them make informed choices about training provision.
Looking Ahead
The 2025 figures demonstrate that accredited workplace transport training continues to play a vital role across the industry. Strong Counterbalance volumes, consistently high refresher demand, and a recovery in Reach Truck training all point to a sector that remains focused on competence, safety and recognised standards.
ABA members remain committed to supporting high-quality, consistent workplace transport assessments and to driving continual improvement for training providers, employers and operators alike.
