Big rise in training boosts TTC Group

The Telford-based road safety group enjoyed a 12.5 per cent rise in turnover in the year to the end of December, notching up annual sales of £26.4 million.

That was partially on the back of new elements of the business launching during that period, and partly thanks to a huge increase in the number of people booking onto its training courses.

Profits were 34.5 per cent higher, accounts filed with Companies House show, at £2.23 million.

Separate figures for the TTC 2000 Ltd – the driver training part of the business – show that the number of people taking part in its speed awareness and drink driving courses soared by almost 50 per cent to 333,166.

The group operates in two core areas, providing courses for the National Driver Offenders Retraining Scheme – which provides training courses for people committing road offences which attract penalty points – and the Drink Drive Rehabilitation Scheme.

The former can quash possible penalty points for people attending courses, and the latter can cut 25 per cent from a driving ban for people who have been caught drink driving.

The company, headquartered at Hadley Park in Telford, also provides cycle training and promotion, and late last year launched a new business aimed at improving the safety of drivers who are working.

"The directors have agreed a strategy which involves continued investment in the group's core activities while investing in a programme of diversification," the company said in a statement accompanying the accounts.

As with all businesses publishing their accounts, TTC provided an analysis of possible risks which could hit the business, but said these were minimal.

Changes in attitude of the Government, police, and local authorities towards education and training are regarded as the company's biggest threat.

But the report added: "The directors believe that the business is in line with Government thinking and therefore perceive the risks to be minimal."

Employed

The number of people employed by the group edged higher over the course of the year, going from 120 to 123.

Meanwhile, the company says apprenticeships are booming, as more than a third of existing employees are taking advantage of training programmes to gain new qualifications and job promotions.

HR manager Mary de Villiers said: "A highly skilled workforce is a happy workforce.

"Staff are more motivated because they know they can develop their individual talents and we will give them every opportunity to do so."

TTC Group called in County Training to introduce a range of skills training which has put 36 staff through training programmes over the past two years and almost 80 employees in total.

Overall, 37 per cent of the HQ workforce are currently working towards a formal qualification.

Kate Gadd, of County Training, said programmes covered IT, customer service, team leadership and management.