With a degree in Social Science and a Post-Grad in Management and Marketing, Cobh native Christina Kelly seems perfectly equipped for her role as Centre Manager at the recently opened Pitman Training Centre in Cork.

Christina, having worked in the marketing department at BUPA for the past three years had recently come to the decision that the time was right for a change when the job vacancy was emailed to her.

CV’s were sent and interviews arranged and, when all was said and done, Christina found herself with a new job, charged with the task of growing the fledging operation in Cork. “Pitman Training is only here in Cork since January and only opened here a month ago,” she says. “It actually won’t be officially opened until later this month, so we are only up and running, but already we are extremely busy with a lot of students.”

With the new Cork centre only finding its feet, Christina headed for Pitman’s operation in Tralee for a six week training course where she was formally introduced to the workings of the company and all that her new position entails.

“I spent six weeks there doing a course myself, so as to find out first hand what its all about. That proved to be very helpful and gave me a better understanding of how I could help facilitate the students.

“I also learned about the management of a Pitman centre, taking in the day-to-day running of the operations and the likes. When I had completed the training I returned to Cork for the opening of the centre here.”

With nearly 140 years of experience under their collective belts, Pitman Training is not only the oldest and longest running independent training company, but also one of the largest international chains of networked training centres, with a global base that takes in the UK, America, Australia and the Middle East. Having originally began life as a shorthand school in 1870, Pitman Training has grown expediently as the passing years and changing times so demanded.

It’s first Irish office opened in Dublin in 1994. Since then the brand has taken a solid foothold on these isles, with operations in Carlow, Clondalkin, Dundalk, Galway, Gorey, Kilkenny, Limerick, Mullingar, Sligo, Swords, Tralee and Wexford in addition to its Cork and Dublin offices.

With more then 90 centres and over 50,000 people being trained through the international operation every year, it’s reputation clearly precedes it, a fact which goes someway to explaining the early success of the Cork centre despite not having been “officially opened” yet.