A Suffolk software consultancy which has successfully grown its business through investing in apprentices has been shortlisted for an award recognising dedication to the training and development.

Ipswich-based IJYI, which was set up by directors John Nicholson and Chris Pont in June 2014, has been shortlisted in the Training and Development category at this year’s East of England Business Champions awards.

It recognises IJYI’s commitment to building its team through investing in the talent of the future, having taken on both a Level 3 apprentice and a Level 4 apprentice in its first year of business.

Mr Pont said: “We are thrilled that our commitment to training and development has been recognised.

“There is fierce competition within the software development sector to hire the very best senior developers, which is understandable. However, here at IJYI, we strongly believe investing in the development career pipeline can prove lucrative in the long run.”

The team at IJYI, which is now grown to eight, will find out if they have been successful at the awards presentation which will take place at Centre Parcs Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire on October 20.

The company faces competition from Cambridge-based CleanHome and Gediminas Grinevicius, a training company from Milton Keynes.

The East of England Business Champtions awards, now in their fifth year, aim to provide a showcase for the best small business across the counties of Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.