Milestone for training team after giving 35,000 people vital skills
ACACIA Training is celebrating a major milestone after giving more than 35,000 learners the tools for the job. The Trentham-based firm has reached its 20th year in business after also training 25,000 apprentices and working with more than 7,000 employers since it was founded as a family-run company in 2000.
The business was set-up by former nurse Victoria Sylvester and her mum Anne Littleton who, as the owners of a care home, became frustrated by the lack of high-quality training to meet their needs.
Today, Acacia Training provides apprenticeships, short courses and government-funded qualifications in health, social care, early years, beauty, dental nursing, business and management.
It has grown from its two founding members to an 80-strong workforce and clients from individual learners, colleges, dental surgeries, care companies, nurseries and beauty salons, to local authorities and the NHS.
It has also trained more than 1,200 people across the world in Mental Health First Aid.
Victoria – who won Entrepreneur of the Year at The 2020 Sentinel Business Awards – said: “Mum and I both worked in the care sector and experienced the struggle to recruit and retain quality care staff.
“We wanted to improve access to high-quality training, so we decided to set up our own company. I never imagined that 20 years later we’d be training more than 3,500 learners each year across a range of sectors.”
She added: “Despite our expansion, we’ve still maintained that family feel and remain passionate about supporting our employees and learners and ensuring that people gain the skills they need to thrive in their chosen career.”
Acacia Training was one of the first organisations in the UK to gain ‘disability confident leader’ status and was awarded silver status by Healthworks Stoke-on-trent, which recognises organisations that promote and support workplace health and wellbeing.
It is now marking its 20th anniversary by donating to 20 global causes.
They include educating a child with special needs in Nepal, equipping a child with a filled school bag in Ukraine, empowering women with literacy and business skills in Uganda, and providing library books in Cambodia.
Victoria said: “Social responsibility is extremely important to us. We also support forces veterans through our work with local charities and signing the armed forces covenant to ensure we are able to support those leaving the army, navy and RAF.
“More recently we joined the
B1G1 initiative which encourages our whole team to nominate global causes, and I use my own salary to donate funds to that cause.
“This year we wanted to do something extra for our 20th birthday, and donating to 20 causes seemed a fitting way to extend our commitment to making a difference and celebrate all the team’s achievements to date.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to all our staff, clients and learners, partners and suppliers who have been a part of this 20-year journey.”