City students owed thousands as training firm goes to the wall
ABIRMINGHAM training provider has gone bust leaving furious students £7,000 in debt with nothing to show for it.
Options Skills Ltd, based in the Jubilee Centre on Pershore St, went into administration this week without informing any of its students, it has been alleged.
The company describes itself as “one of the UK’s leading trades training providers” delivering accredited gas, electrical and plumbing courses.
But trainees in Birmingham say they have been left with no money or qualifications after being told their course had been cancelled via social media, without any official confirmation from the company for days.
Options Skills has four training centres across the country and was allegedly charging students for new courses up until the end of last week. Options Skills Ltd has since confirmed it had engaged Insolvency Practitioners from Bebgies Traynor who will be ‘contacting students and creditors over the next few days’.
Tanzeel Ali, from Birmingham, enrolled on a gas engineering course with Options Skills Ltd in January 2022. After completing his exams two weeks ago, he has not heard back from the training provider and fears he will never receive a certificate for his course. He spent £7,000 in cash to enrol.
“They’ve screwed all of us students over,” he told the Post. “I’m living with my parents, which is the only thing that is saving me from homelessness at the moment. I gave up my full-time job to retrain as a gas engineer and now I’ve got nothing and I’m jobless. This was my future plan – I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself.
“My life is ruined and I’m bankrupt. There are hundreds of stu- dents like me across the country. Options Skills has done nothing for us at all.”
Mat Jevons started an NVQ Level 3 course to train to be an electrician in 2021. He previously worked at Jaguar Land Rover where he was made redundant.
He used his redundancy package to enrol on a £7,000 course with Options Skills Ltd, but he fears he won’t be getting anything back. “It’s a shambles,” he said. “I can’t get access to any of my coursework and I can’t get onto any other course by the looks of it.
“I’ve spent £7,000 on this course to get an NVQ Level 3 qualification, but I won’t be getting anything in return.
“It’s left me frustrated and disappointed that I won’t be able to complete my course. This will set me back in my career without a doubt. I was made redundant a few years ago and used that money for this course so it would never happen again. I’m trying to get my money back but it’s an absolute nightmare. All I want is to finish my qualifications.”
The Post was unable to contact Options Skills Ltd for a comment.
A statement on the group’s website said: “It is with regret to note that Option Skills Limited has ceased to trade, this has been caused by circumstances beyond the Director’s control. The Directors have engaged Insolvency Practitioners from Bebgies Traynor who will be contacting students and creditors over the next few days as to the position.”