An agreement has been reached whereby education giant Pearson will be transferring most of its adult training business - formerly carried out through Pearson in Practice - to West Nottinghamshire College.
The transfer will affect around four thousand people, the vast majority of Pearson's learners, although there will be some transfers to other providers.
Following the government's changes to apprenticeship funding rules, Pearson announced it was leaving the business early last month, saying that demand had been reduced for the kind of programmes on offer from the group thanks to the shift from programme-led to employer-led education and training models.
West Nottinghamshire College will own the training business, and will be renaming it Vision Workforce Skills.
Chief Executive of the college, Asha Khemka, says: "I am delighted we have reached a final agreement with Pearson Plc and look forward to welcoming the majority of Pearson in Practice's staff and learners to the West Nottinghamshire College group as Vision Workforce Skills.
"This cements the college's position as one of the country's leading providers of workforce development programmes and significantly enhances our national reach in terms of employer engagement.
"Above all, this is good news for Pearson in Practice learners, who will be supported to successfully complete their apprenticeship or training programme."
President of Pearson UK, Rod Bristow, says: "Pearson is very pleased to reach an agreement for the transfer of most of Pearson in Practice to West Nottinghamshire College, which has established a strong record in training and apprenticeships. We believe this to be the best solution for the affected learners, staff, employers and other partners.
"Pearson's important work in providing training for young adults will continue through our qualifications and curriculum business, particularly Pearson Work Based Learning, which works in partnership with employers and others to develop workplace skills."
