AMY Millard is celebrating setting up her own business in the face of the recession, thanks to business management training available in the West Midlands.

Using her previous work experience, combined with her National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 4 in Business Management, she has set up AMLI Recruitment Ltd, a recruitment agency for non-medical NHS staff.

When Ms Millard, of the Black Country, took on a new management role with Toy Revolution, a wholesale and distribution company, she took the opportunity to formalise her skills and experience by studying for an NVQ.

Having no business or management qualifications, she thought that work-based training would be the way to demonstrate her capabilities to future employers and, hopefully, recession-proof her career.

Not long after she started her qualification, however, the business she was employed by went into administration. Wanting to find work but and continue with her NVQ, she began temping as a medical secretary and then moved up to line manager, a role she was acquainted with, having previously worked in the health sector for four years.

Delivered by training providers TDM, the Business Management Level 4 course is funded by the West Midlands Leaders Board’s and Skills Funding Agency’s regional European Social Fund (ESF) programme.

Ms Millard said: “I felt that while I knew I had the capability to work at a senior level within a business, an NVQ in business management would demonstrate this to potential employers and those who I already worked with.”

The qualification involved her writing up and providing evidence of a variety of tasks that she was familiar with, such as chairing a meeting, as well as developing new skills, such as writing business plans.

As well as continuing her qualification, she began working at a recruitment agency that she had registered with as a temporary worker.

With her management qualification and experience in recruitment and healthcare, she decided to set up AMLI Recruitment Ltd, specialising in recruiting non-medical staff for the NHS.

Meg Kent, Ms Millard’s assessor at TDM, said: “The NVQ Level 4 is more about gaining an accreditation to reflect the skills individuals already possess, while building and developing new skills. Amy was very eager to gain a qualification that demonstrated her capabilities.”

Ms Millard said: “What really confirmed the value of the qualification was when I decided to set up on my own.

“Not only did the NVQ demonstrate to the bank that I had the skills and ability to run my own business but, when undertaking the training, I had learnt how to write a business plan. That was invaluable when setting up on my own.”

For more information about the region’s ESF co-financing programme, contact Bailey Lamburn, Laura Reid or Michaella Maryon, on 0121 456 3199 or email laura.reid@smarts.co.uk