TOP training firms are well represented in our Evening Press Business Awards this year.

York Business College, based in the illustrious River House building on the Ouse, was established in 1989 and under the leadership of principal Margaret Taylor over the past 10 years has enrolled more than 20,000 students. Now, with 19 members of staff it is one of the city's leading providers of training in computing and business skills to the business community which it serves by taking regular soundings of its training needs. It also founded the Top 100 Club - a monthly business breakfast, giving business leaders in the city and beyond and opportunity to network.

Other examples of how the college acts as an inspirer and catalyst of the business community is through business benefit luncheons, Internet and e-commerce seminars and an annual Simply the Best competition to find the city's best staff. Now it is pitching to be simply the best small business in our awards.

The firm, which has been the preferred supplier of training to York-based CGU Life (now Norwich Union) and CPP, York, has recently carried out phased English training for members of the Swedish Parliament. It achieved the Investors in People standard in January.

ASKHAM Bryan-based Zodiac Training, one of seven centres throughout the north east, Yorkshire and Humberside, has grown so rapidly since it was set up four years ago that it has put itself in line for two categories - Growth Business of the Year and the Progress through People Award.

As a training provider in Yorkshire and the north east it helps to deliver training and development to new and existing employees, and in September last year gained a contract with the North Yorkshire Training and Enterprise Council to help deliver the Modern Apprenticeship programme.

Until it established its base at Tower House, Askham Bryan, it recruited from the Tees Valley.

The move into Yorkshire by Zodiac was a brave one, but a natural step in its plan to become a national training provider by the year 2004.

PITCHING for the Small Business of the Year accolade is York Associates, the six-partner training firm started 20 years ago to deliver training courses in Business English, and to coach people to communicate effectively during international business presentations and negotiations.

It began with a turnover of a few thousand pounds and this year stands at around £750,000. Such was the peak-time pressure on its former twin-site premises in Micklegate, with its 10 training rooms, that it was forced to hire training rooms in the vicinity. Until last year, that is, when it moved to Peasholme House, the Georgian building in St Saviour's Place which has 15 training rooms.

This was matched by an investment in newer training equipment and a computer network that linked the homes of all the partners and improved the service offered by them, their three administrative staff and 20 freelance trainers.

Partner Derek Utley said: "Although it is quite difficult to convey the importance of our move to clients, who mainly live and work a long way from York, we know that through our publicity, and especially by word of mouth from people who have visited us since the move, our move to Peasholme will come to crystallise the step we have taken to improve the quality of the service we offer.

"This in itself will - we feel sure - generate more foreign income for York."