Specialist recruitment firm Skills Provision, which has grown rapidly by matching skilled workers to jobs almost anywhere in the world, is looking to build on its success by taking part in a new export scheme.
The Frome-based firm is among a group of British businesses being helped by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) – the Government’s trade-boosting organisation – under a new initiative giving them access to facilities and advice in overseas markets. 
The firms are being granted access to British chambers of commerce and business groups in 21 developing markets across the world from Malaysia to Mexico, giving them the opportunity to use office facilities and benefit from advice in key export markets.
Sarah Hidersley of UKTI, who is establishing links between chambers of commerce in the South West and overseas British chambers, said: “This initiative will give businesses like Skills Provision an opportunity to benefit from having a base and useful, practical advice from companies already established in the markets they want to target.”
Skills Provision was launched by director Chris Slay to help find staff for his other businesses. It expanded rapidly until the downturn of 2008, which forced Chris to move into overseas markets.
He said: “We started by opening a European recruitment business and were soon discovered by Middle Eastern companies who wanted English language teachers and things have grown from there.”
Recent work has included finding a skilled Polish team to complete a new commercial vehicle plant in India for Daimler Benz at short notice, while in one week requests came in for 70 workers for a copper mine in Israel, staff for a security printing company in Nigeria, workers for a new dam scheme in Lebanon and more English language teachers for Saudi Arabia.
Most of Skills Provision’s business is generated through its website and since changing its URL from a UK address to a dot com, visits to the site have increased by 2,000 a week to 6,000.
Chris added: “We are a local agency on the doorstep but with a global footprint.
“If other businesses are considering selling overseas they need to be sure they have a unique selling point and be prepared to be very flexible when dealing with different needs in different markets. You need to be able to respond quickly to changing market conditions.”
