An employer-led approach to vocational learning has helped a Black Country training provider to win one of the UK’s most prestigious training awards.

In-Comm Training, which operates ‘state of the art’ academies in Aldridge, Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury, overcame competition from more than 350 rivals to be named ‘Apprenticeship Provider of the Year’ by FE Week and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers.

The judges praised the firm for the way it has placed businesses at the heart of its approach, using the expertise, knowledge and requirements of engineering and manufacturing companies to shape the way courses are delivered — and the technology that it invests in.

Gareth Jones, joint managing director of In-Comm, said: “We know that our approach is different, but to have it recognised on a national scale — against companies 10 times our size — is a tremendous achievement.

“It underlines that what we are doing is working and — importantly — recognises the efforts of our staff, many of whom have spent years working in industry before becoming a trainer.”

In-Comm has invested £7 million in its three academies, which have over 40,000ft of dedicated manufacturing training space plus the latest CNC machine tools, automation, robotics, metrology equipment and 3-D printing solutions.

This is reinforced by access to industry-experienced trainers and 11 technical partners, which include Blum-Novotest, Ceratizit WNT, Engineering Technology Group, Guhring, Hexagon, HK3D and Hyfore Workholding.