Carl Whitaker, 2015 Honorable Mention, professional top trainer, is at home teaching students in the classroom and in the field.

Carl Whitaker, a training specialist of Crane Institute of America since 2007, was recently named 2015 Professional honorable mention by Crane & Rigging Hot Line and Association of Crane & Rigging Professionals, announced Crane Institute.

The Annual Training Excellence Award winners are selected by a panel of industry judges for having a positive impact on safety, encouraging accountability in the workplace, and demonstrating qualities of innovation and leadership.

“Carl’s success as a trainer is due to blending illustrative and hands-on techniques while taking a learner-centered approach,” said Jim Headley, president of Crane Institute. “Carl knows that people learn by doing. In classic learner-centered fashion, Carl frequently answers his students’ questions with questions of his own.”

Whitaker was just one of three trainers in the professional category to receive honorable mention. According to the November 2015 report, “Falling just a few points behind the top trainer, [honorable mention trainers] also deserve recognition for their achievements as trainers.”

Upon receiving news of his selection as an honorable mention top trainer, Whitaker said “There are a lot of good instructors out there. It is an honor to be listed in the ranks with such top quality instructors. I give God the credit for giving me the skills, and thank Crane Institute of America for giving me the tools and opportunity. Our job as instructors in the crane and rigging industry is an extremely important element in helping students be safer.”

Whitaker has 22 years of experience as a crane and rigging trainer. He gained much of his expertise while working in heavy industry for a graphite electrodes manufacturer, where he gained firsthand knowledge of equipment operation, maintenance and plant operations.

“Many of the companies that submitted recommendations for Carl frequently request him by name when scheduling training,” said Headley. “We appreciate the commendations from Beitzel Corp., Gulf Power, South Carolina Ports Authority, Timkin Motor & Crane Service, the U.S. Marine Corps and his former employer, Showa Denko Carbon Inc.”

Headley continued: “Carl is an integral part of Crane Institute’s customized onsite training programs, which are designed to your specifications and use equipment your employees are familiar with. We congratulate him on this well-deserved achievement.”

For almost 30 years Crane Institute of America, Sanford, Fla., has offered training, qualification, and certification programs for operators, inspectors, safety managers, lift directors, and riggers and signalpersons working with mobile cranes, overhead cranes, tower cranes, aerial lift and forklifts. It also is an authorized CIC written and practical exam testing site for crane operator and rigger/signalperson accredited certification.

For information, visit www.craneinstitute.com.

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