A training company has launched in Coventry vowing to help increase employability and productivity in the city.
Pitman Training unveiled its training centre at Greyfriars Court in Greyfriars Road in the city centre and was welcomed by Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Hazel Noonan and representatives from business in the region.
The centre, which offers a range of flexible training courses – including Microsoft Office; book-keeping & accounts (including Sage); executive, legal & medical secretarial; and management – is being run by father and son Nigel and Brendan Turner.
Claire Lister, the national managing director of Pitman Training, said the company was launching in Coventry at the right time.
She said: “Certainly over the last 18 months we have seen a big appetite for training.
“Our enquiries come from individuals who want to retrain – either to get back into work or to move up the career ladder – or from businesses who want to invest in staff.
“The Pitman name is trusted and individuals know that with it on their CV, they improve their career potential.
“There is sometimes a feeling among businesses that if they invest in staff training, the person will develop themselves and then move on. That’s certainly not the evidence we see – staff actually appreciate the fact that a company has invested in them and it breeds loyalty.
“And our evidence says that this type of training raises the employability of an individual – 77 per cent of our candidates are in employment within six months.
“It also enhances the efficiency and productivity of staff currently in work and that has to be good for business.”
Nigel Turner said they chose Coventry as the base for their centre because they saw great potential.
He said: “There were a number of reasons for opening in the city. We can see strong prospects for growth and a real chance to improve the skills of the people here.”
The courses offered by Pitman Training lead to lead to qualifications accredited by AAT, City and Guilds, OCR, the Chartered Institute for IT, Microsoft, CompTIA and Adobe.
The company is also offering finance to students to spread the payment for their courses over a longer period.
Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Hazel Noonan said: “When I was younger, those who achieved Pitman qualifications were seen as the ‘bee’s knees’!
“They went off and got the best jobs so we are delighted to welcome the company into the city at a time when there is a great deal to be excited about.”
Across the UK and Ireland, there are more than 70 Pitman Training Centres which have helped tens of thousands of people enhance their skills and qualifications to improve their employment prospects.
