50 years in and still learning at Alliance Learning

With its head office in Horwich, Bolton, the firm employs over 70 members of staff and currently trains around 500 apprentices and 6,000 individuals each year to gain vital skills to take back to the workplace – a big change from the the humble beginnings of the training organisation.

Alliance Learning was known as the Bolton & District Engineering Training Group when it was first registered in 1966, and the five original staff members were based in a porta cabin at the former Horwich Technical College.

As the business grew it secured premises at 602 Chorley New Road and the company was re-registered as Bolton Engineering Training Group between 1986 and 1988. With more space and a dedicated training room, the Group expanded their services and offered First Aid and Supervisory Training in addition to Apprenticeships.

Today the business continues to grow and expand the range of training courses and apprenticeships on offer to people living and working in the North West.

In the last 18 months Alliance Learning have received a number of high profile accolades for their work in the industry including the ‘SME of the Year’ at the Bolton and Bury Business Awards and more recently they have been shortlisted in 2 categories at the upcoming E3 business awards.

Julie Robinson, chief executive of Alliance Learning said: “Looking back at how the business has evolved and grown over the last 50 years makes me so proud. I have worked for the organisation for 22 years and it has grown to be a big part of my life. The staff are one of the company’s biggest assets and we really are one big family.”