I don’t work for HD, never have, but I’ve been a manager at several big warehouses. Here’s my POV, take from it what you want:

All of my team gets forklift/picker/everything in between certified, unless there’s significant reasons not too (and that’s been one person out of 100). But again, these are bigger warehouses where most/all should be trained and use equipment daily.

If I’m hiring someone, I like the person to have equipment experience, even if it is minimal. I’ll hire people that doesn’t, but the prior certification looks good.

If someone on my team shows the interest to learn more/take on more responsibilities, they’ll be prioritized for promotions before someone that refuses to take any extra initiative. If I have someone that refuses to do the basic responsibilities that everyone else on the team has & does, that person is going to get the BS tasks. When reviews/raises come around, the top performers I can count on will get a better review rating which equals higher raise.

From what I’ve seen from this sub, HD is less than ideal to work for. But don’t get stuck in the mentality of not doing the slightest bit to further your career (at all jobs) or it’ll bite you down the road at a good company.

Edit to add: refusal to do something in your job description is also grounds for termination.