Tees Business Tees Business Issue 14 | Page 25

Serving the Teesside Business Community | 25 Lex talk business HOW SOUND TRAINING HAS THE SOLUTION FOR EMPLOYERS If you’ve heard positive murmurings about Lexonik by Sound Training, it’s hardly surprising. The Teesside company is creating waves as far afield as the United Arab Emirates and the USA – and now it’s ready to make an impact in business too. Tees Business finds out more… I t was never meant to be like this. Life has taken a rather different path from the one Katy Parkinson expected when she launched her company nearly seven years ago. Katy is the founder director of Lexonik by Sound Training, the Middlesbrough-based company that’s improving literacy levels and life outcomes for learners way beyond the fields she initially envisaged. Katy developed the unique teaching programme with the aim of supporting learning at all levels and raising achievement for local students. But since the company’s inception in September 2011, things have taken a very different flight path. In June alone, Katy, along with the firm’s CEO Claire Preston, travelled by aeroplane and train to meet with education professionals in Qatar, Oman and Texas, with the aim of extending the reach of the award- winning teaching resource. Katy and Claire avidly believe that literacy levels impact not only upon success within education, but on employment opportunities, career advancement, and ultimately, personal fulfillment and life chances. Katy said: “Regardless of their start in life, we want all individuals to have access to Lexonik, a truly positive educational experience, which we have proven can be life-changing. Sadly, so many people do not experience this.” Lexonik is a revolutionary way of raising attainment using a combination of unique resources and instruction. Sound Training, the company behind it, has been improving literacy and accelerating learning for those of Katy Parkinson (left) and Claire Preston of of Sound Training are set to launch Lexonik to unleash the potential in employees. all abilities across the UK and beyond for the last seven years. What you may not realise is that Lexonik can provide the solution that many employers have been seeking too. Suitable for even the most able of learners or employees, Lexonik enhances literacy and vocabulary levels, improving communication, comprehension, confidence and ultimately personal and professional development. So far more than 60,000 students have benefitted from Lexonik - with staggering results. After only six hours over six weeks, reading and comprehension are raised dramatically. While the impact of this is easy to recognise and measure in school or adult education settings, the wider application is as yet untapped. In addition to wider implementation in the UK and international schools, plans are in place to work with federal departments in the US with young as well as older learners, including an innovative project working with those within the criminal justice system. But it doesn’t end there. High on the agenda for Katy and Claire is the desire and intention to work with local employers wishing to invest in their workforce, improve literacy, communication and education levels generally. Watch this space… For more details about Lexonik by Sound Training, visit lexonik.co.uk or email [email protected]