Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has acquired a West Midlands training company for an undisclosed fee – underlining its ambitions for growth.
It has bought PTP Training, which has its head office in Walsall and employs around 70 staff supporting around 1,000 learners across the region in apprenticeships and Government-funded programmes.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has its own training division already – Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training – led by Sally Lucas and the acquisition will mean the group has a footprint across the whole of the West Midlands.
It will be business-as-usual for the team at PTP Training, which is run by CEO Rob Colbourne OBE, as they continue to work with hundreds of firms, offering accredited apprenticeships in everything from dentistry to welding and from accountancy to engineering.
It is also a return to its Chamber roots as PTP – which stands for Performance Through People – was originally part of Walsall Chamber of Commerce when it was originally established in the 1960’s.
Corin Crane, chief executive of Coventry Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is a real milestone for us as a Chamber and our training offer. It brings together two trusted and established providers across Coventry, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands.
“We have been looking at PTP for some time as a potential partner and I am absolutely thrilled to get this acquisition over the line.”
Rob, who has been with PTP since 2004, said the two organisations’ values are aligned.
He said: “We’ve got many staff who have been with us for more than five years, some over 20 or 30 years so, when this kind of deal goes through, they want to know that we are all working towards one goal.
“That is why this deal with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce was so appealing and will bring benefits to all parties.
“My message to the team, to the organisations we work with and to our apprentices and learners is that it is very much business as usual. The PTP brand will remain in place and there will be no change to the way we work with our partners.
“Ultimately, however, this means we can work together across the wider region on future projects which is really exciting because our values and purpose are exactly the same.”
PTP has learning centres in Walsall, Millennium Point in Birmingham and in Cannock. Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training is based in Radford in Coventry and offers a range of apprenticeships and commercial business training courses.
Pictured: Rob Colbourne OBE (left) with Corin Crane