Karen Maynard is a former teacher who knows exactly what the effect of staff shortages and morale has on education.

Using her 20 years’ experience in the profession, she established Apex Education Training to bring back the focus of each individual’s needs to the sector.

This gave her a distinct edge when starting up the recruiter and consultancy business over two years ago offering whole school staffing solutions in Kent and Essex.

Based at the Nucleus in Dartford and with a staff of four, Apex Education Training Ltd helps teachers come back into their careers and offers support with their whole employability process and training for each individual.

The company also supports head teachers, trusts and HR managers who at times need support and guidance and know they have someone effective at the end of the phone.

All the company’s internal staff follow the Recruitment Employment Confederation (REC) training and development programmes to help achieve their full potential. They are also members of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals (IRP).

Karen said: “As a teacher myself I feel that a lot of staff in schools have become disillusioned with their careers and hence need additional support and guidance which is what we provide.

“Alongside this, knowing the actual schools has helped us provide each individual with a position which best suits his or her requirements, not only professionally, but also on a personal level so their whole life is back in balance.

“To us this is our philosophy that makes us stand out from everyone else.

“We have been able to provide staff to posts with vacancies that may have remained vacant, or filled with the wrong applicant.”

Apex is just one of several companies to enter this year’s Dartford and Gravesham Business Awards. They are supported by the Messenger and each entrant gets a free profile in our papers and online.

Entries have now closed but you can find out more at www.dgbawards.co.uk

This year’s sponsors are: Barnes Roffe; Dartford council; Gravesham council; KM Media Group; Lloyds Bank; Thomson Snell and Passmore; University of Greenwich and JonesFM.