Rutledge Expands Employee Training Operations In India

Coleraine-based Rutledge Recruitment and Training has used Invest Northern Ireland export support, including trade missions, to set up a franchise operation in Chennai that will help Indian companies develop employee skills.

The company, a leading provider of employee skills and training programmes in Northern Ireland, has established a master franchise, Rutledge Joblink, in Chennai as the first stage in a drive to expand business throughout India by means of a network of sub franchisees supplying programmes for companies and educational institutions.

The new business initiative in India was announced by Jonathan Doherty, Chief Executive of Rutledge Recruitment and Training, and welcomed by Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director, during a visit to the company.

Dr Kell said: "This is an important development by Rutledge to extend the existing employee training services that it has been providing in India for some time, following its participation in one of our trade missions to this immensely important market. The company has also been advised and guided by our expert staff in the Invest NI Trade and Investment office in Mumbai.

"This success for Rutledge, the outcome of extensive market research, and experience on-the-ground there with companies and the education sector, will enable the company to build on existing contacts and expand its business across a nation which has a huge and growing demand for skilled people in key industries, such as IT, finance, healthcare and sales and marketing, by means of an integrated network of franchisees.

"This ambitious company has taken time and invested the necessary resources to get to know the market and to identify the best channel for successful and profitable growth in a marketplace which offers vast opportunities for Northern Ireland companies, both large and small, to benefit from a dynamic economy. To assist companies such as Rutledge to succeed there, we’ve focused resources on developing our office in Mumbai and by organising a programme of trade missions and participation in major sectoral exhibitions," added Dr Kell.

Mr Doherty, outlining the company's plans in India, said: "We've developed our Global Employability Skills Programme for delivery through our master franchisee and sub franchisees. This is a direct response to India’s huge and growing requirement for skilled people to meet the needs of companies in particular.

"The initiative is the result of our discussions with major corporations there about their existing and future skills and training requirements. We have developed a flexible approach which enables us to work with companies on developing the skills they need from existing and potential employees.

"It is a very significant and substantial expansion of the services we have been providing in India over the past five years. In addition, the project is designed to give us complete coverage of the vast Indian marketplace and represents a major investment by us in this exciting and dynamic marketplace.

"We appreciate greatly the very practical support from Invest NI, which first introduced us to the market opportunity and is continuing to be provided particularly by the Mumbai office. Invest NI trade missions are an important element in our business development strategy in India," Mr Doherty added.

(CD)