United Rentals Offers Online Training Center | Industry News

United Rentals Inc. has launched its United Academy online training center. United Academy encompasses a wide range of courses related to jobsite safety and compliance, including operator certifications for powered access and excavation equipment, OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour classes, confined space entry and competent person training, and train-the-trainer certification. Additionally, the site facilitates training management for employees and employers by offering easy certification management, multiple delivery methods, and corporate account benefits. 

To provide easy certification management, course completion and certificate records are stored online, and a unique QR-encoded card provides access to training profiles via a mobile device or computer. Automatic notifications alert workers and employers when certifications are nearing expiration.

Classroom training can be performed at customer locations or at a United Rentals location in the United States and Canada. Select courses are also available online to minimize disruptions during the workday.

Companies can qualify for corporate account benefits, such as quantity discounts, and they can manage the distribution of training to employees, maintain employee profiles (including the tracking of third-party training records), and report on training performance for management and compliance purposes.

Additionally, United Rentals will begin offering blended learning for certain programs in its United Academy curriculum. This integrates online instruction and examination with a face-to-face, practical evaluation at a participating branch. Blended learning courses for boom lift and scissor lift operators will be available starting in mid-July, followed by counterbalance and rough-terrain forklift certifications.

Michael Kneeland, chief executive officer of United Rentals, said: "We believe that United Academy will be a powerful force for safety in the industry. It reflects our continued commitment to protecting construction, industrial and municipal workers through the practical application of professional education. The thousands of customers we train each year will now have even more resources at their disposal, including the latest innovations in training techniques."