Haughton Design’s skills and training programme, has helped the design development consultancy become Midlands regional runner up at the EEF Awards for The Skills and Training Award.
The annual awards are hosted by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, and recognise excellence in enterprise, innovation, environmental performance and skills development among UK manufacturers.
The award caps a hugely successful year for Haughton Design, which has seen turnover grow by 54 per cent due to the company’s successful transition into the medical sector. New customers have been secured and existing customers have committed more work with Haughton Design.
EEF judges said of Haughton Design: “they identified the need to diversify into a new sector for the better of the business, and with this the requirement to deliver sector specific training to staff in order to be successful and see results. They cleverly transferred skills within a well-managed process.”
A key to the transformation has been the training received by Haughton Design’s team. External consultants were brought into the company to help develop the team’s working knowledge, to transfer their engineering skills into a new sector.
Managing Director, David Mills, said the team was now working effectively within a new and challenging sector. As a result of the training, there is a hunger to continue the momentum and grow the company’s presence within the medical sector.
“We still have a long way to go, but we have come so far in up-skilling all the designers, allowing them to be more confident in delivering design services to medical and pharmaceutical clients” added Mr Mills. “I am really chuffed with what has been achieved to date. We are no longer following the lead of our competitors; we are now setting our own path.”
“We are very proud of Haughton Design for being regional runner up and delighted with the positive outcomes of the skills and training staff have received.”