Birmingham-based The Works Retail has made it through to the final of two categories in this year's National Business Awards.

The Works Retail, with head office at Midpoint Park in Minworth, has reached the final of both The Employer of the Year Award and The Investors in People Award for Business Improvement Through People.

The independent annual awards recognise business excellence and focus on success, innovation and ethics.

The Employer of the Year Award will go to the organisation that has best applied its human and supporting resources to achieve commercial success.

The Investors in People Award for Business Improvement Through People will identify the organisation that demonstrates how its people development strategies have improved performance and created a committed, motivated and effective workforce.

In addition, The Works Retail has been highly commended in two of the award categories - The CMS Cameron Mckenna Business of the Year Award and The Orange Award for Bright Business.

Joy May, The Works retail operations and HR director, put the success of the business down to the commitment and passion of its employees. "To have won through to this stage is an achievement in itself," she said.