A company that supports more than 700 apprentices every year has been recognised as the ‘best’ in its field.
In-Comm Training, which operates two Technical Academies in Aldridge and Telford, was named as the ‘Training Provider of the Year’ at the prestigious Ladder for the Black Country Awards. More than 250 people crammed into Walsall Football Club to celebrate the stars of vocational learning, with the family-run firm overcoming strong competition to impress judges with its £10m investment strategy and its recent record-breaking 199 apprentice cohort intake.
The launch of the UK’s first ever Precision Tooling Academy was also praised, especially in the way it has worked with stamping specialist Brandauer to create a real-world commercial tool room to train the toolmakers of the future. Bekki Phillips, Chief Operating Officer of In-Comm Training, commented: “These awards are vital in raising the profile of apprenticeships and for promoting why they are vital to business, young people and mature learners.
“To win the Training Provider of the Year caps what will be a record year for our company and underlines that our employer-led approach to training and apprentices is working. We’re trying to push the boundaries of delivery, but we can’t do that without our amazing people and firms that are willing to innovate to bridge the skills gap.”
The Ladder for the Black offers a collaborative, joined-up approach to improving skills and enrichment opportunities for all, particularly for the young and disadvantaged. Backed by the Express & Star, the organisation links up employers, training providers and candidates to give everyone the best chance of success in upskilling and employment.
Bekki went on to add: “Another success story is how we have forged strategic relationships with several major OEMs and tier1s. In addition to partnerships with JLR, RBSL and Marston’s, we have also joined forces with automotive giant Gestamp to launch a dedicated training centre at its new £50m Wolverhampton plant this year.
“This will be used to deliver Lean Manufacturing Apprenticeships for 60 team members every year, as well as other development activities. We’re hopefully providing the blueprint for other providers to follow.”
