Specialist Wales-wide training provider, Itec, has opened additional premises in Cardiff City Centre to accommodate growth as the organisation celebrates 40 years in business.
The organisation, which is headquartered on Penarth Road in the Welsh capital, has taken on 7,500sq.ft at Eastgate House on Newport Road as a new Cardiff learning centre to offer space for learners to learn new skills, gain qualifications and employment opportunities.
The new centre will help facilitate Itec’s delivery of part of Welsh Government’s £200m Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme which aims to get thousands of young people aged 16-18 reach their full potential and take their first steps into the world of work.
Itec employs 180 staff in 15 offices across South and West Wales and has a centre in London plus another 180 people employed indirectly through partnerships. The skills and training provider, which became the first Welsh training provider to be 100% an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) in 2019, reported a turnover of £12m in its financial year ending July 2021.
The organisation’s success is, in part, due to the successful delivery of government training contracts of which Itec is one of just 10 contracted providers, including the new Jobs Growth Wales+ programme.
Ceri Murphy, managing director at Itec, said: “40 years is a huge milestone for any organisation and celebrating it with the opening of our second office in Cardiff is testament to our growth and the commitment we’ve made to the thousands of learners we have helped on their way to the world of work, whether that has been through helping them upskill, finding the right employment or apprenticeship or simply providing the counselling and guidance to set them off on the right path. The location of Eastgate House means it is easy for learners to drop-in to the centre to have regular access to their tutors and support staff.
“The training and skills sector has changed dramatically in the last 40 years, we’ve gone from over 200 suppliers like us working for Welsh Government to now being one of just 10. We’ve lasted thanks for the quality of our provision and by being agile and able to adapt to a changing employment and skills landscape at pace. We’re currently seeing a significant skills gap, particularly in the hospitality and care sectors and investing in training is an obvious route to help both employers and young people.”
Itec’s new Cardiff office will be home to 11 staff and who will deliver Jobs Growth Wales+ and the DWP’s Restart programme from the centre.
Ceri continues: “Looking to the future, we want to continue to make a difference in the lives of young people and build on our people-centred culture to create more opportunities for people in the communities in which we work. Apprenticeships are often overlooked by learners and their parents thanks to old fashioned stereotypes but I am a firm believer that they will play a crucial role in helping build a stronger Welsh economy and skills base post-pandemic. Being an EOT means all our staff are absolutely invested in delivering the absolute best outcomes for both our customers and also our learners.”
