A specialist health and safety training provider has invested more than £1.2m into a new centre of excellence in Oldbury.
PLT Training, which was formed by Nicc Bennett in 2000, has moved into a 7,000 sq ft facility in Pearsall Drive, taking the shell of a warehouse and creating a dedicated training space to support more than 10,000 learners every year.
The company has moved its administrative function to the upper floor, whilst downstairs features classrooms and six purpose-built zones for forklifts, working at height, manual handling and a unique confined spaces course that includes working through tunnels and fitting breathing apparatus.
It marks a perfect 25th birthday present for the business, who works with over 1500 companies nationwide every year, ranging from SMEs and sub-contractors to major employers like Assa Abloy, Williams F1 and Red Bull Racing.
Kathy Laing, Operations Director of PLT Training, commented: “We had grown rapidly over the last five years and felt the time was right to look for a larger training space that allowed us to do more at our own facility.
“The space in Oldbury came up and we jumped at the opportunity. It was a pretty blank canvas, which was good…this gave us the chance to shape the training zones exactly how our instructors wanted them, which would give the best learning experience for our clients.”
She continued: “We’ve taken on an extra couple of people as part of the move and plan for more instructors in the new year. The feedback from existing and new customers about the centre has been great and we’re already planning further enhancements and new capabilities as we go through 2026.”
PLT Training has come a long way since founder Nicc used to spend weeks travelling the country, delivering health and safety sessions for free in order to convince people and companies that keeping your staff safe was important.
Fast forward twenty-five years and the Black Country business is one of the leaders in its field, delivering more than 150 different courses at its centre at Oldbury or onsite at over 350 client locations across the UK.
These range from COSHH Training/Awareness, First Aid and Fire Marshalling to forkflift, plant and work equipment training, such as abrasive wheels and overhead cranes.
Its team of expert trainers also deliver leadership and management courses, NEBOSH and IOSH accredited training and support to help employees with recognising mental health struggles and menopause awareness.
Kath went on to add: “Health and Safety isn’t just about compliance in the workplace. The proactive companies invest in this area to protect their staff, provide the best possible workplace environment and also to boost productivity as there are less incidents and injuries.
“This is where we come into the equation. We can provide one-off courses or we can deliver an holistic service to clients, walking them through their requirements, delivering the training and also identifying future needs. A lot more businesses are opting ot take this approach.”