Your front-page story about the collapse of the Carter and Carter Group (“Where is the rescue mission? March 14”) claimed that the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) had refused to explain what plan was in place to protect the firm’s trainees.
As my colleague, David Russell, has said, the LSC is working with the administrator to protect the interests of learners.
It is not the role of the LSC to “rescue” Carter and Carter. Our role is to ensure that learners are able to continue their courses of study, either with new owners or with new training providers. The LSC set up a task group several months ago to develop a contingency plan on behalf of learners. The best outcome for Carter and Carter learners is an orderly transfer of their learning contracts.
We are working very closely with the administrator and potential buyers to achieve this. We have taken the view that describing these commercially sensitive negotiations in the press is not in the best interests of learners.
- Editor’s note: Mr Russell’s comment was published in the story last week. The Learning and Skills Council refused to comment further.
Verity Bullough, Director of funding, planning and performance, Learning and Skills Council, Coventry.
