A North-East training firm is expanding with the recruitment of two new staff.

Gateshead company Access Training has appointed Nicola McKegney as employer and training adviser and Alex Meredith as training adviser to drive forward its unemployed provision.

Mr Meredith, from Chester-le-Street, is a former secondary school teacher and is training unemployed adults in IT and employability skills. Ms McKegney, from Gateshead, is working with employers and the Job Centre to assist the long term unemployed back into work.  

Access, which is the only training provider in Tyne and Wear to achieve the Training Quality Standard, now has 30 employees.

Mr Meredith said: “My role is to give people IT skills that are going to help them get a job.

"I'm finding the role incredibly rewarding because the learners are genuinely appreciative of every bit of help I give them. Some people initially come into the course a little bit apprehensive but by the end of the five week programme they tend to want to do even more training."

Access Training provides apprenticeships in business administration, social media, accounting, team leading & management, customer service, teaching & learning, manufacturing operations, security systems, engineering and warehousing & distribution.

It also supports and offers advice to businesses on how to develop their workforce and how to access funding for training.