Specialist Jo no stranger to pressure in workplace

Jul 20 2004 By The Journal

As a successful businesswoman and director of specialist training provider PP Training, Jo Ingham understands the challenges and pressures associated with management, and strengths needed to succeed in today's economic climate.

Having established the Jarrow-based organisation a little over three years ago with her husband Roy, Jo is now driving forward ambitious yet strategic expansion plans which includes the possible opening of four new training centres and the creation of up to 60 jobs over the next 18 months.

The first of the new centres is to open in Cramlington in August, and up to 20 full- and part-time jobs are expected to be created over the forthcoming year. It is anticipated that more than 600 new learners could be enrolled on specialist, industrial programmes such as forklift truck operations, productivity, skills for life, IT and health and safety management, by 2005.

She said: "Our plans are ambitious yet very achievable, as there is a huge demand for highly-specialist training courses for company employees, unemployed people and individuals wishing to retrain.

"Our experience of the industry allowed us to identify a gap in the market, and by building upon it and responding to client's needs, we have seen the number of learners enrolling on courses rise by over 200pc and staff numbers increase to 26.

"PP Training currently has over 100 trainees enrolled on learning programmes and I am confident that the Cramlington site will help us to develop our commercial contracts and learndirect business further. We have invested more than £150,000 into the new centre initially and this includes a purpose-built factory floor, five lift truck training areas, and three IT rooms which have been specially designed and constructed to benefit learners enrolled on all courses."

The expansion plans are to be introduced gradually over the next two years, with the new site at Admiral Business Park in Cramlington being the latest of the company's training facilities to serve many local and national commercial clients. As its commercial contract portfolio continues to increase to include clients such as ACC Distribution, Pride Valley Foods and Hashimoto, PP Training is expecting to almost double its current workforce of qualified instructors, administration and learner support staff, and assessors to approximately 46 staff.

Jo added: "Establishing the right team is essential as I believe that good staff are one of the strongest assets of any company. Whilst PP Training is investing heavily in its expansion programme, we have continuously invested in our own employees and many are enrolled or have completed training courses which will benefit themselves personally as well as professionally.

"Judging by the feedback we have received this is the start of an exciting period of growth for the company."