AMBITIOUS expansion plans for a York-based research and marketing agency promise to create fresh jobs for the city.

QA Research is taking on 20 recruits to help drive forward its plan to boost business growth by 25 per cent over the next 12 months.

By next March the company, which is based at Brackenhill, St George's Place, expects to have up to 90 casual staff employed in its telephone research centre and 60 permanent members working across the company's teams.

Managing director Peter Harrington said: "We know from the feedback our clients give us that our work is professional and cost-effective. Now we want to ensure we recruit people who will keep QA Research at the cutting edge of the research market."

QA's work includes face-to-face, web and postal surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews, mystery shopping and case studies.

The company carries out research for a wide range of organisations, such as primary care trusts, to offer an insight into public and staff attitudes about the NHS.

Among its public sector clients are Leeds City Council, the Department of Education and Skills, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's social exclusion unit, and the Department for Work and Pensions.

The first few new recruits have started work with the team responsible for local government research, while others will join the business development team and groups focusing on tourism, health, housing, children and young people.

Meanwhile, Nick Williams, who joined QA in 2003 as a research executive, has been promoted to research manager within the team focusing on business, enterprise and education under the company's fast-track promotion scheme.

Mr Harrington said: "Watching people develop gives me a real feeling of satisfaction.

"Personal and professional development is such an integral part of our philosophy, but when the Nicks of this world actively put themselves forward we know we have the people who will make a major contribution to our future growth plans."

Mr Harrington, who started his company as a one-man enterprise in 1989, said if recruits "have the same combination of youthful dynamism and willingness to contribute we'll be bending over backwards to bring them to QA".

Updated: 11:46 Thursday, May 19, 2005