Cheap Forklift Licence: 8 Effective Ways You Can Do To Save Money

In Australia, getting a forklift licence is mandatory and is required by law, there’s a good reason – hundreds of people are either injured or killed by forklift every year.

This is why you need to be trained and licenced first to be a forklift operator.

If you are considering this career and that the cost of getting a licence bothers you? Well, I would not blame you.

Obtaining one does involve spending some money.

The money that you may not have right now because you’re still unemployed or a family matter comes in the way perhaps hindering your plan.

But you still need to obtain a licence to get a job and pursue this career. How then can you get a cheap forklift licence just to save a bit money money?

We’ve discussed many of the ways in this article so that you won’t have to spend much.

But, let us talk about first how much you would spend taking a training course and applying for a licence.

How Much Does It Cost to Take Forklift Training and Apply for a Licence?

The cost and time you will have to spend in taking a forklift training course in Australia will primarily depend on the skill level and knowledge you have.

For a typical beginner’s course which is lengthier, the training provider may charge you around $500 on average. While for experienced individuals, the rate may be slightly lower.

The cost of taking the training course will vary depending on the registered training organization (RTO).

But, that doesn’t include the fee for the application of high risk work (HRW) licence, the permit you have to apply in SafeWork through Australia Post, to be able to legally operate a forklift in Australia. You will have to spend another $74.00 per licence class for new application and $68.00 for renewal, the current fee as of this writing. The HRW application fee will depend on the state/territory where you will apply.

Ways You Can Do to Save Some Money

Here are some of the strategies you can do so that you don’t have to spend much.

1. Understand first that there are two types of forklift licences you can apply for: LF (for forklift truck operator) and LO (for Load-Shifting Order Picker operator). The type of licence you want will determine that training course you need to take at an RTO. When you want to drive a standard counterbalance, you need an LF licence, while if you want to operate an auto picker or turret truck, you need an LF licence. By knowing what type of licence you need prevents you from committing mistake, thus saving you time and money. You may need both depending on job requirements.
   
   
2. If you are considering a forklift training course, it pays if you ask the registered training organisation (RTO) or the course provider whether there is any grant, funding or subsidy you can apply and be qualified for to defray the cost of getting a licence. The provider will tell you straight away what they can offer to you. Just be ready for the additional requirements they may ask from you.
   
   
3. If you are struggling to pay for the cost of the forklift licence, why not take a government-subsidized training? You have to go through a training provider that offers such subsidy, just find one here. To become eligible, the very least you have to be is at least 18 years old and be an Australian citizen. Other requirements may also be asked during application.
   
   
4. In as much as possible, when you searching for training provider where you want to take the course from, choose the one that offers job placement. In that way, the provider can help you find a job after completing the course. As a result, you save money because you don’t have to spend resources in finding a job yourself.
   
   
5. Find a high pass rate training provider. When you’re surveying for an RTO where you want to take the course from, ask them the pass rate of their students before enrolling. Though they may claim that they have high pass rate, you can verify this with your colleagues or with someone you knew who have undergone such training with that provider.
   
   
6. Find a cheaper but also better training to get value for money. For provider offering cheaper fee can lead to poor education, you might fail the certification test, and then you have to pay again to retake the test. You can tell the quality of their course by browsing through their curriculums of topics covered in the course.
   
   
7. Make sure that the training provider is a recognized training organization (RTO). You can easily check this just by going through their company website, they usually place their RTO number there. You must be trained by an RTO to be eligible in the application of high-risk work (HRW) licence.
   
   
8. If you are an employer, you can provide the course at the company premise by hiring an outside trainer to conduct the training there. That way, you don’t have to send your operators to the school, thus saving you money on transportation.

To Make a Conclusion

Forklift operation has been classified as high risk work in Australia. Anyone who wants to drive forklift needs to have such class in their HRW licence.

To get such class involves taking a forklift training course. It could be an expensive endeavor for someone who doesn’t have a job yet. Though cheap forklift training courses do exist, make sure also you are getting the best education possible.

Once you have your HRW licence, your options where you want to work is all up to you. You can work in the warehouse as material handler, or in the construction where most forklift operation related job can be found.

Take time and effort obtaining a forklift licence and add it to your HRW licence as one of your qualifications.