Company meetings with line dancing and a TV show-inspired Crystal Maze challenge to alpaca walking and theatre trip socials – building energy and good relationships between colleagues keeps SolutionsPT ahead of the game after almost 30 years in business.

The Stockport-based industrial IT solutions company, which helps businesses use technology to achieve top-class engineering management, is "continuing to invest in what makes it unique," cultivating a company culture that celebrates its team's "continuous pursuit of knowledge, insight and understanding."

The company's engagement platform lets employees send virtual 'high fives' to each other, and every three months, a staff team judges which 'thank you' aligns best with the values. The winner gets shopping vouchers and the chance to scoop the annual prize of a £1000 holiday.

And staff are asked a weekly question – such as 'do senior managers truly demonstrate our values and behaviours? – allowing for continual insight and immediate action on key areas influencing how great a place SolutionsPT is to work.

SolutionsPT thinks outside the box to ensure a pipeline of talent in a niche IT sector. It's introduced fully-funded Degree Apprenticeships in partnership with three universities. It employs the apprentices four days a week, putting them on the company's sales or technical career paths. It means they have various career options if they stay after graduation.

And as part of the 'Apprentice Academy,' the trainees get to undertake projects, have interactive sessions and are assigned a mentor and buddy to help them strike the right balance between university, work and home.