Interactive Ideas grabs graduates

Five new recruits secure permanent job after six-month placement at distributor

Interactive Ideas has welcomed a new wave of graduate recruits to its team after a successful placement scheme.

The software distributor had taken part in the government-run HTI scheme, which offers company apprenticeships and graduate internships, and had taken the graduates on a six-month paid placement.

It has made five of the positions permanent. Interactive Ideas moved into a new £1m office and training facility in November 2009 where the new recruits - Courtney Allen, Funto Adedoyin, Johnny Parperis, Crystal Gordon and Wayne Keele - will be based.

Mike Trup, managing director of Interactive Ideas, said: "Interactive Ideas has had growth at over 40 per cent per year for the last three years, expanding the workforce by over 30 per cent in this period. We are a services company and our people are our number one asset.

"We have ambitious objectives for the future and as we have through the 16 years of Interactive Ideas, we will continue to invest in our current people and finding new talent to maintain and improve our high levels of service and commercial success."

The HTI scheme, Future Jobs Fund, is a government-run scheme that gives 18-24 year olds that are not in employment, education or training, the opportunity to work 26 weeks and study up to five courses through e-learning.

Bev Burden, head of learning and operations at Home Training CIC, said: "It has been a pleasure working with Interactive Ideas who quickly realised that Future Jobs Fund was a fantastic opportunity to create real-life opportunities for young people struggling to make the transition from education into work.

"Through the provision of excellent management, training, encouragement and motivation to the young people, they have now found themselves in permanent employment which gives me great pleasure."