Earlier this month, Telford-based Filtermist (www.filtermist.co.uk) marked Learning at Work Week by launching a £100,000 investment in up-skilling all of the staff in the group, which includes sister companies Multi-Fan Systems, Dustcheck and DCS.

It is giving every employee a minimum of 50hr of training every year — a commitment that could total nearly 12,000hr.

This will include job-specific courses, personal development opportunities and access to recently launched ‘competency workshops’ that cover continuous improvement, positive approach and teamwork, time management, protecting people and the environment, professionalism and quality, and customer experience.

Staff will also be able to tap into Masterclass sessions delivered by senior managers and external experts/trainers.

Ensuring that its workforce is ‘fully skilled’ is an important part of the group’s strategy, which features ambitious targets to increase its presence in key markets, including automotive, aerospace, food, medical and high-value engineering.

Human-resources director Johanna Morris said: “Our people are our greatest asset, so it makes perfect sense for us to invest in them, ensuring that they are fully trained to the latest industry standards.

“We have also looked at some key personal development opportunities linked to our company culture, while providing funding to help individuals gain specialist qualifications and degrees that will help their future career development.”

The development culture spans across all four businesses, with Chris Harper (general manager of Multi-Fan Systems) embarking on a BA in Business Management through the University of Wolverhampton, while Lydia Barber (group marketing manager) is on the CIM Level 7 Marketing Leadership Programme.

James Lloyd and Billy Mabbot recently completed their apprenticeships at the Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology and are now full-time Filtermist employees, while Brandon Dixon recently received his Level 2 NVQ Engineering Apprenticeship certificate.