An apprenticeship expert and business leader who has helped over 300 people to either start or develop their careers in the past year, has expanded his offer by signing partnership agreements with nineteen companies to create an expanding trusted network of partners for organisations to access.
Steve Rushton is celebrating two years in business with his company, Training and Business Solutions Ltd.
An official Apprenticeship Ambassador, Steve spent his initial months on business largely developing his training offer and has more recently worked behind the scenes to grow the business solutions arm of the business.
Now he’s announced partnerships with 19 Staffordshire based serving companies. Steve, of Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, explained: “I am a firm believer in collaboration and have signed agreements which will help support more companies by offering a range of solutions for their business.
Having worked for 20-plus years with SMEs and being a business owner myself, I know firsthand the endless priorities you are trying to balance. By working together, we can provide a one-stop-shop of business solutions, including Apprenticeships, Training, Recruitment, Human Resources, Business Standards and Certification, Health & Safety Solutions, Web Development, Driver Risk Management Services, Insurance Services, Utilities, Communications, Health & Wellbeing, Public Relations. Photography, IT Services, and other Professional Services, meaning business owners can dedicate their time on running their business.”
The newly announced partnerships include XPert Recruitment, Order Employment Services, acadame Training Solutions, Clyk IT Services, ISO experts Eaglet Business Systems, b3m web development and SEO experts, Mako Online Courses, Adrian Hide Driver Risk Consultancy, AMB Insurance Services, BPA Safety Services, Harmoniance, Howle Communications, Dave Hide Photography, Heaward Solutions, Sales Geek, Watts Commercial Finance Ltd, UW Utility Warehouse, G-Force Communications Ltd, Gofor Fleet Leasing.
The growth of this network follows Training and Business Solutions’ collaboration with Smart Gas Training and Assessment Centre which led to six young people from Stoke-on-Trent starting gas engineering apprenticeships in September 2024.
“Gas engineering is one of around 50 apprenticeships I can offer, said Steve. Over the last 18 months, I have supported over 386 organisations with 162 of them taking up apprenticeship opportunities or training to enhance their workforce.
“Alongside that, I have supported 246 young people aged 16 to 21 and more than 70 adults (22 and over).
“As a Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire Apprenticeship Ambassador, I delivered school assemblies each day during National Apprenticeship Week, plus parents’ evenings, and webinars for parents, teachers, pupils and businesses.”
Steve has supported 10 schools in the last 12 months – delivering apprenticeship assemblies, presenting at Parents’ Evenings, and attending award ceremonies as guest speaker, and has delivered his own apprenticeship workshops on Sundays at Abbey Hulton Sports and Social Club.
“I have worked really hard to get this business up to full speed but it’s worth it because I know I am helping to change people’s life chances,” and at the same time supporting all sector organisations said Steve, who has also been recognised as an Ambassador by the North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce.
“This expansion of Training and Business Solutions’ is a natural next step in our journey to fully supporting organisations to be the best they can be.”
Despite only founding his business in autumn 2022, Steve is a familiar face on the apprenticeship and training scene having previously been Director of Partnerships for a large former training provider.
ENDS
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