Founded by Steve Rushton, Stoke-on-Trent based Training and Business Solutions Ltd is supporting hundreds of local people and businesses.

Entrepreneur Steve launched Training and Business Solutions in late 2022 using his extensive background in business development and training

His aims were to help companies provide jobs and training and to support businesses to work in partnership, engendering growth.

During 2024 the training arm supported more than 386 organisations in the public, private and third sectors, with 162 of them taking up apprenticeship opportunities or training workforce.

In addition, 246 young people aged 16 to 21 and more than 70 adults were supported by Steve.

Training and Business Solutions offers more than 50 different apprenticeships in sectors such as business services, social media, building and development, IT, finance, transport and logistics.

Steve is an official Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Apprenticeships Ambassador and to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities he worked with 10 schools over the calendar year and delivered his own apprenticeship workshops on Sundays at Abbey Hulton Sports and Social Club and Bentilee Wellbeing Centre in partnership with Councillor Sarah-Jane Colclough.

In late 2024 Steve launched the Training and Business Solutions Ltd Trusted Partners scheme by signing partnership agreements with 21 companies. Initial forecasts estimate this will generate more than £300,000 for business partners in 2025-26.

In the first quarter of 2025 the Trusted Partners scheme generated 104 referrals, generating income for companies across a wide range of business sectors.

With many of Steve’s trusted partners based in Staffordshire this ensures money remains in the local economy. This is important to Steve, who was appointed as a Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce Ambassador in the past year.

Aged 55, Steve has spent almost 30 years working in business development and training. Prior to founding his own business in November 2022 He was Director of Partnerships at training provider Achieve Training for more than 12 years.

He said: “Supporting people into work is a passion and I have built up a wealth of knowledge over many years so I wanted to carry on and use that knowledge to support Staffordshire companies and provide pathways into work for local residents.”

Turnover at Training and Business Solutions has increased year on year, from £79,000 in 2024 to a projected £240,000 in 2025.

Steve Rushton has entered the Entrepreneur of the Year category of University of Staffordshire Business Awards and has entered Training and Business Solutions Ltd into the Skills For The Future and Small Business of the Year categories.