Agilitas backs buyout of Learning Curve Group

Agilitas, the pan-European mid-market private equity firm, is pleased to announce its investment backing the management team of Learning Curve Group (“LCG” or “the company”), a leading UK training and education specialist.

LCG is based in Durham and provides life-changing opportunities for over 120,000 learners and 4,500 employers per year to help upskill both new and existing staff, enabling individuals to develop new skills in order to enter employment or advance their careers. The company – which has received ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ OFSTED ratings for its business divisions – works across the country with a range of businesses, individuals and further education colleges, offering a diverse range of over 150 courses in a variety of sectors including Health & Social Care, Education, Business and IT, Hair & Beauty and Fitness.

LCG’s fundamental purpose is to help learners improve their employability and economic well-being through practical education. It provides courses across four main areas, which are supported through the creation of bespoke training materials: flexible distance learning courses for employed adults looking to upskill; employability-focused courses designed for 16-18 year olds; apprenticeships where training is delivered within companies seeking to upskill employees; and ‘Advanced Learning Loans’, where courses for adults seeking to upskill are delivered in LCG’s academies and community locations.

Since it was founded in 2004, LCG has grown rapidly, expanding to offer its services across the UK. It was named in The Sunday Times’s ‘Best Companies to Work for Top 100’ list in 2019 and 2020.

This investment is in line with Agilitas’s consistent focus on backing ambitious management teams of high-quality and defensive businesses, with opportunities for multi-dimensional business transformation and a strong alignment between shareholder value and fundamental positive purpose in society.

Liam Goddard of Agilitas commented: “It has been a pleasure working with such a talented management team to develop a transformation plan to bring the exceptional education they offer to a much wider audience. Learning Curve Group is a truly incredible company, built by staff working together to create an environment to support learners reach their goals. This training is delivered both locally and through distance learning, which means the company can continue to help learners safely access training and education – even in a disrupted environment where people are encouraged to self-isolate.”

Brenda McLeish, CEO at Learning Curve Group, said: “We’re excited to join forces with Agilitas as we embark upon the next stage of Learning Curve Group’s ambitious growth plans. With Agilitas’s help, our fantastic workforce is looking forward to positively transforming even more people’s lives through learning.”

Martin Calderbank, Managing Partner at Agilitas, said: “At Agilitas we are focused on helping management teams unlock remarkable levels of growth through transformation. Learning Curve is a quality provider in the growing further education and training market and we look forward to supporting the growth of the business to bring its first-rate practical education to even more learners.”

Advisors to Agilitas included: Ashurst, PwC, CIL Management Consultants, Marsh and EY. Pemberton provided the financing to support the acquisition.

Media enquiries to: Greenbrook – Alex Jones and James Madsen

+44 20 7952 2000 | agilitas@greenbrookpr.com