High Speed Training, a leading online training provider based in Ilkley, has become an Employee Owned Trust (EOT), meaning that it is now wholly owned by its workforce.

Founded in 2008, High Speed Training specialises in online compliance training covering a wide range of sectors, from retail and hospitality, to construction, education and safeguarding. This latest move solidifies its commitment to empowering its workforce and ensuring a sustainable future.

By embracing an employee-owned model, High Speed Training aims to foster a culture of shared responsibility, collaboration, and long-term success, where each employee has a direct stake in the company's performance and decision-making.

High Speed Training has a long history of demonstrating outstanding levels of employee engagement. In the most recent results from industry body Best Companies, High Speed Training placed 39 in the Top 50 Best Mid Sized companies to work for in the UK, 18th in the top 25 for Yorkshire and Humberside and 4th in Education and Training organisations in the UK.

The company also recently achieved B Corp certification, an accreditation from the global non-profit B Lab, which ensures that a business meets high standards of social and environmental impact, focusing on a company’s approach to its governance, customers, environment and communities.

High Speed Training, which has certified over 2.5million learners, has grown considerably since its inception, primarily under the leadership of co-founder and owner Dan Jordan, who remains on the Board of Directors and oversaw the transfer of the business to its employees.

Carole Urey, CEO of High Speed Training, said: “As High Speed Training has grown over the last 15 years, we have always focused on two key values - providing first-class training for our learners and guaranteeing security and opportunity for our colleagues. By becoming an Employee Owned Trust, we are ensuring that we can stand by both of these commitments effectively and sustainably.

“As a registered B Corp, we are delighted to be moving to a business model that puts people before profits, that will allow us to run our organisation for the benefit of our learners and our employees, and help to secure our long term health.

“Since 2008, we have certified over 2.5million learners. They, and all of our employees, are what make High Speed Training special, and this decision solidifies our commitment to supporting and empowering each and every one of them.”

EOTs were introduced by the Government in 2014, to allow a company to become owned by its employees, enabling staff to have a financial and directional say in how the business operates.