Pictured above: Frank and Mick Dunne

An Ilkeston training company has started to reap rewards overseas after a long haul, and is encouraging others to follow its lead.

Upskill, run by brothers Frank and Mick Dunne, was set up in 2007 and has already had considerable success in the UK.

This included striking gold by winning a contract to deliver training to a contractor working on a 400m project in East London for next year's Olympic Games.

But the company, based in Wharncliffe Road, had its sights set further, particularly with tough trading in the training sector at home, and wanted to seek new markets abroad and export its expertise.

For the last two years Upskill has been trying to sell its services in different countries. "This had work has at last come to fruition," said Frank.

Upskill now has a formal agreement with the Open University of Malaysia, based in the capital Kuala Lumpur and with 60 educational centres nationwide, which will use its management development programmes.

This has already resulted in the president of the Open University meeting the Government's Chief Minister of Human Resources to see how their joint expertise could be used to help him implement a five year economic transformation plan.

And next month Upskill will go to Kuala Lumpur to launch a pilot development programme for 30 senior managers from the Ministry of Health.

The company will also be launching a joint training programme with the Open University for 20 managers from key Malaysian corporations.

Frank will head off to Kuala Lumpur for his seventh visit in two years during which he has met Government officials and businesses, and Mick will follow in August.

"It's been a hard slog and not for the faint-hearted," said Frank. He and Mick have learned the protocol of how the Malaysians conduct business, redesigned programmes and tailored them specifically to make sure they are fit for purpose.

The initial contract is worth £60,000, but Frank says there is significant potential for growth. They plan to recruit trainers locally and so re-invest for a sustainable future.

Upskill has also won a tender from Al Futtaim Carillion - an organisation based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and jointly owned with major British support services and construction company Carillion - to train senior managers on high-profile projects.

"We are particularly pleased about this because Al Futtaim Carillion is one of the main leaders for construction in the Middle East and North Africa," said Frank.

Upskill has previously worked with Carillion on projects.

"We are delighted to have won these contracts because they give us a foothold in these countries on which to build and grow," said Frank.

"We may be small, but we are competing on the world stage and would encourage other local companies to look abroad. We have had to make sacrifices with our home life but it's an experience and, hopefully, will be worth it."