Staff at Aspiration Training take inspiration from the positive impact their work has on people's lives. Being passionate about people is one of the core principles of the award-winning independent training provider.

"The passion we have for our work is what ignites us," says Melanie Barratt, the company's director of people and culture. "We are ambitious in all that we do to achieve results for ourselves, our learners and our employer partners. We are driven to build a happy, successful and sustainable business for our team."

The company has been rated "good" by Ofsted and its Welsh equivalent, Estyn. It supports more than 4,500 people through nationally recognised vocational qualification programmes, apprenticeships, mentoring and preparation for employment.

As well as apprenticeship programmes, Aspiration Training, delivers government-funded and commercial courses to help people unlock their talent and aid employers to improve their workforces’ skills and increase productivity.

It practises what it preaches and invests heavily in internal learning and development programmes for its own staff, giving them the opportunity to gain formal qualifications and further their careers.

It also listens to its staff through The Voice, a group of representatives from teams across the business. The Voice has been invaluable in identifying areas for improvement, supporting consultation on changes and implementing new benefits.

Aspiration Training, which has its headquarters in Nottingham and offices in Birmingham, Redditch and Cardiff, has twice been a winner of an Investors in People award, along with a range of other awards and accreditations.