A TWO-year-old training provider in York which has clinched millions of pounds worth of Government contracts to prepare jobless people for work, has a mission statement which applies as much to itself as it does to the world.

Inspire To Independence (Training) Ltd, otherwise known as i2i, aims to "inspire individuals to fulfil their potential through personal development".

In other words, it is as diligent about making its 61 full-time and 27 part-time employees happy as it is when it comes to making a difference to the jobless.

This is a formula which has seen the company's turnover zoom from a standing start to £1.8 million.

It is also why the company, based at the Innovation Centre at the University of York, in Heslington, is not only pitching for Growth Business Of The Year in The Press Business Awards 2006, but also gunning for the Progress Through People title.

The business has bases throughout the country working in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and the European Social Fund, in an effort to put unemployed people into sustainable jobs. Also, i2i works with blue chip companies and small to medium enterprises to provide various workforce development opportunities for their employees, including the delivery of NVQ and distance learning qualifications.

Since November 2004, i2i has placed more than 400 people into work.

By linking up with professional football clubs, such as Blackburn Rovers and Bury, the company has been offered bases to find jobs for local people in their areas.

Two huge new contracts with JobCentre Plus, worth £3.8 million over the next three years, mean the company will be setting up ten new premises with a target of finding jobs for 3,000 people.

Managing director Matthew Gore, said: "Our strategic plan is to replicate our projects throughout the country - becoming a national training provider of pre-employment and workforce development."