BUSINESSES are being urged to follow the lead of a York company whose success has been recognised in the National Training Awards.

York's MP, Hugh Bayley, visited CPP Group plc to congratulate staff on winning the Yorkshire and the Humber Training Award 2007 for an Engaged Selling training programme in its call centres.

The awards celebrate businesses, organisations and people who enjoy training and development success.

The official Yorkshire launch of the 2008 awards is being held in York on Wednesday, February 6, to showcase the benefits of entering. Entries close on Friday, April 25.

The event - supported by the Learning and Skills Council Yorkshire and the Humber - will be held at the National Railway Museum from 9am to 10.30am and will involve a free business breakfast.

Mr Bayley said: "It's great that CPP has won this award and I congratulate it for its commitment to investing in training. York is a good place to do business and it is important that companies invest in training. It benefits the staff, the company and the economy and these awards recognise this investment."

Adam Reep, learning and training specialist at CPP, said: "We were delighted to win a regional training award. CPP is committed to the training and development of its employees and this award recognised the hard work that has gone into developing the Engaged programme. It's a fantastic award and we would urge all businesses to enter."

Clive Howarth, skills development director at the LSC Yorkshire and the Humber, said he had seen "outstanding training initiatives" among entries from this area over the years.

He said these showed the "positive impact training has on individuals and organisations".

"The stories from the National Training Awards are inspirational and I hope they will encourage others to train their employees and themselves, and to enter the awards to celebrate the success of their training."

Email kate.evans@ukskills.org.uk to secure a place at the free business breakfast. For details about entering the awards, phone 0800 0191 475 or visit www.nationaltrainingawards.com.