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One of the leading lights in the North East’s burgeoning pharmaceutical sector, The Specials Laboratory has been honoured for its commitment to the training and personal development of its employees at the regional heats of the National Training Awards (NTA).
The Prudhoe-based business, which has expanded from three staff to 150 in just eight years, won praise for the development of a bespoke staff training programme to help production operatives carry out tasks in line with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry.
“We have invested more than £10 million in some of the most advanced clean room and medical manufacturing facilities in the world, but it is the skills and dedication of our staff that drive the business forward,” says Fiona Cruickshank, Managing Director of The Specials Laboratory and its sister company, Specials Clinical Manufacturing. “We worked closely with Tyne Metropolitan College on a specially commissioned course which could be delivered on-site with just 30 minutes of training each day.
So far, 24 staff have completed the internal training course at the company, which manufactures individually commissioned unlicensed medicines for the retail pharmaceutical and healthcare markets. In addition to reducing costs and improving key skills in an industry where quality control and hygiene are of paramount importance, the course has enabled Specials to fill more roles internally, saving on recruitment costs and boosting staff retention.
“From the foundation of the company and right through our rapid development, we have always focused on the fact that Specials is a community, rather than simply a workplace, something that is reflected in our training policy,” Lorraine Adams, Production Manager. “We understand that each and every one of us has a different learning style and there is no pressure put on anyone to perform or learn within a set time scale.”
The National Training Awards are the UK's number one accolade for businesses, organisations and individuals who have achieved lasting excellence and success through training and learning. They are universally recognised as being the number one in their field and winners are required to demonstrate significant benefits from exceptionally effective learning and skills development, including tangible results gained by putting what has been learnt into practice.
“The Specials Laboratory has received this award for its well managed training programme, which is exemplary for this field,” said Simon Bartley, Chief Executive of UK Skills, which runs the awards on behalf of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. “The Specials story highlights how training and personal development are an essential ingredient for prosperity, regardless of business size or the industry sector. I hope their achievements will inspire other businesses to invest in quality training.”
The award was presented to the Specials team in a lavish ceremony at the Hilton Newcastle-Gateshead, hosted by former World Champion sprinter, Colin Jackson. The NTA accolade is the latest in a series of awards for The Specials Laboratory, which already holds Investors in People status.
