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Interview: Bdaily meets Principal Careers, a spinout aiming to shake-up North East recruitment

Based in Sunderland, Principal Careers is the newly-launched recruitment arm of established training provider Principal Skills.

Bdaily spoke with Recruitment & Development Manager Adam Smith, who recently set up the spinout, to hear about the business’ exciting plans for the future.

Already working with some of the region’s leading contact centres and production companies, the new enterprise aims to offer a complete package to businesses in terms of recruitment and learning and development under one roof.

Hi Adam, can you describe what the company does?

Principal Careers has been set up by myself alongside established training provider Principal Skills. Together, we aim to offer companies the complete package for both recruitment and training, covering all sectors. We can also offer bespoke training and recruitment solutions to suit individual client needs.

Who else is involved in the business?

Two directors, Libby Halliday and Jo Crosby, own both companies. Their experience lies within the training sector where they have vast experience of working for some of the North East’s leading companies.

Principal Skills has grown from 1 office to today having 3 prime location offices located at the North East Business Innovation Centre in Sunderland, with a total of 18 staff.

I was brought in as Recruitment and Development Manager to set up the recruitment division after a number of years working as a Business Development Manager for both local and national agencies.

Why was the recruitment arm set up?

The Training division was set up 3 years ago after Libby and Jo decided they could provide a better standard of service to the Industry by going it alone and using their combined 50 years of experience within the sector.

The recruitment division was set up by myself this year as Libby and Jo wanted to branch out and offer clients a more tailored complete package in terms of both recruitment and training.

Which companies does the business work with?

The clients we work with are very diverse in terms of sectors, we work with the likes of Bupa, The Foundation of Light, We Switch, Utilitywise, Redu and DPS.

We have just secured deals with two large outsourcing companies in the region.

How do you plan to stand out from competitors?

We stand out from our competitors because we offer our clients the full package, whether you need a member of staff training at management or entry level we can deliver it.

We have funding available for employability, so we are helping candidates who have been out of work and looking to gain employment.

When it comes to recruitment we don’t look to charge astronomical fees. We like to understand businesses and work within their budgets, acting as an extension to a client’s team.

Can you share any key achievements since starting out?

Key achievements since starting out are working with companies such as Bupa and Utilitywise, as well as winning contracts to work with 2 national contact centres to supply staff and deliver training.

With the huge numbers they are requiring in 2017 it is massive opportunity for our two divisions to grow.

We do plan to bring in more staff this year and have a total head count of 18 currently, so now would be an exciting time for anyone joining the business! Principal Skills has been added to the ROATP which is also a huge achievement for us.

What are you hoping to achieve this year and moving forward as a business?

What we are hoping by the end of 2017 is to add significantly to our portfolio of recruitment clients and establish ourselves in the market as “The” go to provider for both recruitment and training in the North East.

We want to add staff to both our divisions and grow our internal teams, as well as being the most cost effective recruitment and training provider in the market place

What value does the business bring to the North East?

We bring the region a lot of value in terms of delivering our employability courses and getting people back into work by getting them industry ready.

We would also like to think we are very cost effective and we always aim to tailor both recruitment and training packages to come in line with company budgets.

Thanks Adam.