​Nathan's Story

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Nathan joined CoLa in 2016, bringing with him a varied background in catering, manufacturing, logistics and materials handling.

That experience gives him something valuable as a trainer: an understanding of what it's actually like to work in a busy workplace. He's worked on the shop floor, dealt with customers and couriers, worked across production and logistics, and operated a wide range of materials handling equipment.

Today, Nathan uses that experience to deliver practical, engaging training that people can take back into the workplace with confidence.

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Nathan grew up around the family business and spent school holidays working on the family farm, where he gained an early understanding of machinery and the importance of working safely around heavy equipment.

After college, Nathan initially followed a very different career path, studying catering and qualifying as a chef. He spent around ten years working in the catering industry before taking the opportunity to volunteer at a school and sports projects in a township outside Cape Town, South Africa.

When he returned to the UK, Nathan joined a local flower production company.

His role gave him experience across almost every part of the operation — including production, stock, intake, packaging, logistics and dispatch — while working with different types of materials handling equipment and dealing with a wide range of customers and couriers.

That hands-on experience proved invaluable.

In 2016, Nathan joined CoLa Training, bringing his understanding of real working environments into his training. 

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Training for the real workplace

Nathan now instructs and examines across a wide range of materials handling equipment, from pallet trucks through to rough-terrain telescopic handlers.

He also delivers training in areas including First Aid, Fire Safety, Food Safety, Driver CPC and Manual Handling, while continuing to develop his skills and expand the training he can offer. 

His varied background means Nathan can relate to people from very different working environments.

Whether you're completely new to operating machinery or an experienced employee looking to refresh your skills, Nathan's aim is to make training practical, understandable and relevant to the job you're actually doing.

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What Nathan can train you on:

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Machinery & MHE

• Industrial Counterbalance

• Industrial Reach

• Telescopic

• Multidirectional

• Pivot Steer

• Pallet Trucks

• Demountable

• MEWPs

• Tug / Tow Tractor

Workplace Training

• First Aid

• Fire Safety

• Food Safety

• Manual Handling

• Driver CPC

Nathan's current qualifications include a particularly broad range of MHE categories, as well as First Aid, Food Safety and Fire Safety. 

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Why train with Nathan?

 

Real workplace experience

Nathan has worked in catering, manufacturing, production, logistics and dispatch — so he understands the pressures and realities of the workplace.

A practical approach

Training isn't just about getting through an assessment. Nathan focuses on helping people understand how to work safely and confidently in real situations.

A broad range of skills

From forklifts and telescopic handlers to First Aid and Fire Safety, Nathan can support businesses with a wide variety of training needs.

Approachable and supportive

People learn differently. Nathan's varied experience helps him adapt his approach to the person he's training.

Part of the CoLa family

Nathan is part of the family-run team behind CoLa Training, bringing the same commitment to practical, high-quality training that has been at the heart of the business since 2004

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Need training for yourself or your team?

We're here to make it simple.

Whether you need one person trained on a forklift or are looking to organise training for your whole workforce, we'll help you find the right course.