A COMPANY which specialises in training qualified gas fitters has expanded its operations into York.

BITC Ltd, which from its base in Barnsley has been tackling the skills shortage in accredited gas fitters, starts its first York courses at Parkside Commercial Centre, in Terry Avenue, on Monday.

The firm was launched in 1996 by managing director Graham Hawkes after he realised that the shortage of qualified fitters was critical.

He said: "Two years before that I was interviewing for a gas fitter and had 42 people apply, but out of those, only one was qualified."

His solution was to train them with his own experts to Corgi standards and place them into well-paid jobs.

Most of the early trainees were long-term unemployed people funded by the Government's New Deal to get them through the training.

By last year it became apparent that many inquiries came from people who were already in work but wanted a fast track into the industry - and they were prepared to fund their own course fees at £1,720 plus VAT.

"The success rate for this course has been 100 per cent," said Graham. "All these candidates are employed full-time in the industry and our qualified trainees are now guaranteed jobs."

He chose York for a new training centre because of the city's accessibility to a wide area of North and East Yorkshire.

He was already training ex-miners from the Selby coalfield and had secured jobs for them at Gass Ltd, in Lincolnshire.

Dave Taylor, marketing director for the York Inward Investment Board, said: "We were pleased to have been able to find suitable premises for BITC Ltd and to have put the company in contact with Jobcentre Plus, which has a complementary programme to address this skills shortage."

Updated: 09:36 Tuesday, June 17, 2003