Personnel Group gap has acquired a stake in North Wales-based national training provider, Kickstart2Employment, to strengthen its service provision to customers across England and Wales.

As a leading national provider of labour services, Wrexham-based gap has made the investment as part of its continuing growth strategy to provide a comprehensive portfolio of recruitment and training activities for candidates and clients. 

Through this new partnership, the two organisations will support customers that require innovative training and employment solutions, which are becoming increasingly prevalent as a result of the UK’s 42-year low unemployment rates and the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy.ril 2017.

Founded in 2011, Wrexham-based Kickstart2Employment works collaboratively with employers, further education colleges, universities and specialist training partners across the UK to provide a fully-managed training service.

This business model enables employers to work with one training provider, and an appointed account manager, for all training requirements.

 This ranges from pre-employment training, through to apprenticeships and mandated training required by law, through an approach that supports companies’ long-term skills development and productivity objectives.

Kickstart2Employment has become a highly-active apprenticeship provider having been awarded a place on the Skills Funding Agency’s Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP). 

This registration enables the company to deliver Apprenticeships on behalf of employers, including managing the application of levy funding, using the Apprenticeship Service.

The investment has also facilitated merging the two companies’ existing commercial training businesses.  The amalgamation will create a national provider of skills training for the key sectors in which gap operates to deliver programmes such as Fork Lift Truck refresher and certification along with Manual Handling and Food Handler qualifications.

Mark Roberts, managing director of gap Personnel Group, said: “This is an exciting new chapter for the two companies and one that we see as adding significant benefits to both our candidates and customers. 

“While it underpins our recruitment, retention and training aspirations, it ensures candidates experience a far broader range of training and development, which is essential in the current labour market.

“Industry is looking for improved productivity that can be achieved through workforce development, which is the core focus of this new strategic partnership.  Having worked alongside Kickstart2Employment for a number of years, where the company has always delivered exceptional results, we are confident our investment will ensure more businesses achieve their workforce objectives.”

Julian Hughes from Kickstart2Employment said: “Our delivery teams are looking forward to working with one of the most established recruitment companies in the UK with a view to offering client companies an enhanced & fully managed training provision.”