Paul Lawrence’s vocation is helping others with their careers. Paul spent the noughties delivering intensive career support for people aged 24 and under. Assisting young people back into the job market gave Paul a lifelong love of training. Paul has worked for several training organisations over the years before joining Pitman Training (which has a pedigree in workplace-focussed education and training) in 2009.
When the owner of the Southampton and Bristol Pitman Training franchises decided it was time to retire last year, Paul took the initiative and picked up the reins. Paul said: "I had made commitments to individuals that I would support their training, and I wasn’t prepared to go back on my word. I knew I had the skills and experience to make it work for the trainees and as a business".
In December 2020, Paul was ready to take the next step and so he established the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú branch of his Pitman Training business. Paul, already familiar with the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Technopole having visited over the years, decided to take two Technopole suites.
The company bears the name of the 19th Century English educator and inventor Sir Isaac Pitman, and has provided education and training services for over 180 years, making it a great fit for the Technopole.
Meeting the needs of a changing economy, Pitman Training provides administration and entry-level accountancy training, amongst other things. The turbulence in the job market caused by the pandemic has created a need and a demand for more and varied workplace skills.
Furthermore, the Technopole's location is ideal for providing easy access for clients.
Paul is supported in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú by a team of three along with additional tutors as needed. His base within the Technopole includes a room with nine computer workstations and another room with a further six. The flexibility of this workplace is perfect for training and as one of the few approved AAT assessment centres in the area, the office space can be expanded as demand requires.
A welcoming start
Paul said: "The support team at the Technopole is great. Whenever we have trainees arriving at the centre to take an assessment, Robin or Sophie will welcome them, set them at their ease and show them up to our training suite. It makes all the difference to our customers to have a warm welcome and a friendly face on arrival.
"I’m looking forward to when we can welcome trainees back into the Technopole and when I can get to meet my new neighbours and start networking with them".
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‘I knew the Technopole was well set up and had a great support team, and given that my business is focussed on training and career development, joining the Innovation Connect community and the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú estate made perfect sense.