Lyceum Education Group, the private equity-owned parent company formerly known as BPP Education Group, has acquired Aspiration Training Limited, a provider of apprenticeships and vocational training in England and Wales. Lyceum announced the acquisition on its website on 1 October 2026. The price was not disclosed.

Aspiration Training was established in 2002 and works in four sectors: dental, early years, adult care and education. According to the announcement, published in full by The Educator on 2 October, it delivers apprenticeships through a mix of online learning, workplace training and dedicated tutor support, with pathways from entry-level qualifications to management-level programmes. The announcement gives no learner or apprentice numbers and no revenue figures.

The deal and the rationale

Lyceum said the acquisition aligns with workforce priorities identified by Skills England and with government initiatives to tackle skills shortages in healthcare, care and education. It said the deal should create clearer progression routes from vocational and apprenticeship pathways into higher-level professional and management education, and give Aspiration access to Lyceum’s employer relationships and wider portfolio in the UK and overseas.

Iain Salisbury, Aspiration’s chief executive, will continue to work with the business under Lyceum’s ownership, and Aspiration is expected to keep its specialist expertise and employer relationships, according to the announcement. It does not say whether the Aspiration Training brand will change or whether the sellers retain any stake.

I am delighted to welcome Aspiration Training to Lyceum Education Group.

Graham Gaddes, Chief Executive Officer, Lyceum Education Group

A group built by acquisition

Lyceum’s website states that the group is owned by the private equity firm TDR and is registered in England and Wales, with its address at BPP House in London. The parent brand was introduced in January 2026, when BPP announced a new global parent name. A post on Lyceum’s site refers to eleven education businesses across the UK, Europe and North America, and the group also lists brands in Australia.

Aspiration is the latest in a run of purchases listed on the group’s site. They include Firebrand Training in June 2022, the Digital Marketing Institute in February 2023, Buttercups Training in April 2024, higher education acquisitions in North America and Australia announced in July 2024, the Australian Institute of Business in August 2025 and Sprott Shaw College in British Columbia, Canada, also in August 2025. The group’s other listed brands include Arbutus College, Acsenda School of Management, BPP Poland, BPP Romania, BPP North America and BPP Institute in Australia.

Iain Salisbury said joining the group marked a new chapter for Aspiration Training. The announcement does not say when, or whether, Aspiration’s programmes will be linked formally to qualifications offered elsewhere in the group.

What it means

TED analysis:

  • For universities with apprenticeship portfolios: Lyceum is buying feeder routes in health, care and education, sectors it links to government initiatives on skills shortages. A provider that can move apprentices from entry level into degree-level and management study competes directly with university degree apprenticeship offers.
  • For independent training providers: a private equity-owned group that grew out of BPP is still buying specialist apprenticeship businesses in 2026. Owners of similar providers in regulated sectors such as dental and early years have a visible strategic buyer.
  • For investors: the price is undisclosed and the announcement gives no learner numbers, so the deal’s scale cannot be judged. Companies House filings for Aspiration Training Limited and Lyceum’s next accounts are where any figures will first appear.