WHAT an anniversary present for Premier Business Training And Design on York Business Park in Upper Poppleton.

Just as Mary Rothery and her daughter, Elizabeth Lobley, were celebrating the 40th year since the venture came into their family's possession, a huge new training responsibility has fallen on their shoulders.

Premier has now become a Learndirect centre aiming to target small and medium-sized enterprises in the area.

It was the outcome of efforts by Ann Macintosh, the Vale of York MP, who put owners Elizabeth and Neil Lobley in touch with Knowledge Base (UK) Ltd, which oversees delivery of Learndirect for York and North Yorkshire.

Premier's extended role should hugely accelerate the numbers of people and business representatives passing through its doors at Regency House on the business park's Westminster Place.

Already up to 40,000 have attended courses there, ranging from European Computer Driving Licence preparation and Pitmans shorthand to use of Microsoft and Sage software. In some cases staff are teaching not only the children of students past, but grandchildren as well.

Learndirect is the Government's push to increase the quality of training and knowledge in business and in life, with hundreds of free courses devised to cover subjects ranging from an introduction to computers and advanced computer programming to vehicle repair and customer care.

Updated: 08:56 Tuesday, March 04, 2003