Hercules secured fresh funded training contracts and expanded its prison education programme as its skills academy scales toward further commercial deals.

It has implemented its new Pay and Bill platform across the business, marking a key step in its transformation programme with the ERP rollout to follow.

Hercules plc's power services subsidiary has secured two new National Grid transmission contracts, taking its contracted work for the current financial year to about £20.8 million.

"These latest contract awards represent another positive step in the continued growth of our Civil Projects division," said CEO Brusk Korkmaz.

The AIM-listed construction and labour services group told shareholders at its AGM that some key project starts have slipped, though management expressed confidence in the company's repositioned operating platform.

It has unveiled The Skills Gulf in the Houses of Parliament, a whitepaper that recommends actions to close an estimated 250,000-worker shortfall in the UK construction and infrastructure sectors.

Hercules reported record first-half revenue of £59.2m, up 8% year-on-year, while underlying profits and cash fell as the group invested in systems and absorbed acquisition and audit costs.

Catching up on delayed paperwork, issuing a new trading update and getting share trading resumed, it was a reassuring day for Hercules and its investors.