What Pitman Training does

Pitman Training is a UK-headquartered vocational training franchisor founded in 1837 by Sir Isaac Pitman, inventor of the Pitman shorthand system. Operating through a franchise network of 70+ centres across the UK, Ireland, India, Kenya, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Palestine, the company delivers 250+ self-paced and instructor-led courses spanning office and secretarial skills, Microsoft Office, Sage accounting and AAT bookkeeping, IT and CompTIA certifications, business management, graphic and web design, software development, marketing, and English language training. Its proprietary myPitman learning portal supports in-centre, online, and blended delivery via digital workbooks, personal audio tutors, and a student progress tracker; physical centres add in-person workshops, seminars, and recognized assessment/exam services for accreditations including AAT, CILEx, BCS, AMSPAR, Microsoft, Adobe, and Sage.

The company serves two primary customer segments: individual adult learners (career changers, returners, and upskillers) and corporate/employer clients purchasing staff training, apprenticeships, and group programmes. Revenue is generated through individual course and diploma fees, custom corporate training contracts, apprenticeship programmes (including Paralegal, Medical Administrator, and Business Administrator pathways), and employer-funded channels such as Amazon Career Choice (covering up to 95% of tuition, capped at £8,000 over four years per employee). Government co-funding is accessed through Skills Development Scotland ITAs and the ReAct programme in Wales, and pricing is quote-based with flexible monthly payment plans.

The business is wholly owned by Launchlife International Inc., an Ontario-based education-technology franchisor that acquired it in late 2018. Distribution combines franchised physical centres, the myPitman online portal, dedicated enterprise sales for corporate clients, and partnership-driven learner acquisition. Day-to-day UK and European operations are led by Managing Director Paul Lewis, appointed 2026-03-03, who oversees both the Pitman Training and School is Easy brands under the Launchlife umbrella.

Name

Pitman Training

Legal name

Pitman Training Group Ltd

Website

https://pitman-training.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1837

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pitman Training is a 1837-founded UK vocational training franchisor operating 70+ centres worldwide and an online portal, delivering 250+ accredited courses and diplomas in office skills, IT, accounting, and business to individual adult learners and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Training Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Computer Training (61142), Apprenticeship Training (611513), Business and Secretarial Schools (61141)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB), Vendor/Authorized Certification Training (Microsoft/AWS/Cisco, etc.) (BPAEANAA), Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN)

Keywords

• Vocational training courses
• Professional development diplomas
• Corporate staff training
• Franchise education centres
• Industry accredited qualifications

Headquarters

HQ city

Wetherby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Course and Diploma Fees: Revenue is generated from one-time fees for individual courses and professional diplomas. Courses range from single modules (e.g., Medical Word Processing - around 6-8 hours) to comprehensive diplomas. Flexible payment plans are available to help students spread costs.
2. Corporate/Staff Training: Business clients pay for employee training programmes, group sessions, and custom training solutions. Companies can access the full training portfolio with tailored programmes for workforce development.
3. Amazon Career Choice Partnership: As an Amazon Career Choice partner, Pitman Training receives funding from Amazon to train eligible employees. Amazon covers up to 95% of tuition and provides up to £8,000 support over 4 years per employee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Pitman Training delivers professional vocational training and qualifications through 65+ franchised centres and its myPitman online platform, offering 250+ self-paced courses and diplomas across office/secretarial, accounting, IT, business management, marketing, design, and English language. Courses can be studied in-centre, online, or via blended learning, with flexible start dates and dedicated learning coaches, and lead to industry-recognised certifications from bodies such as AAT, CILEX, BCS, Microsoft, Adobe, Sage, and CompTIA.

Product overview

Pitman Training operates a platform-plus-modules architecture offering professional training and qualifications through multiple delivery formats (in-centre, online, distance learning, and blended). The core portfolio includes Office & Secretarial, Microsoft Office, Sage/Accounting, Business Management, IT, Visual Design, Software & Web Development, Marketing, and English Language courses. Key products are Professional Diplomas (Executive Assistant, Medical Secretary, Legal Secretary, Administrative Assistant, Graphic Design, Management) and individual courses/workshops. The company also offers corporate/staff training services and partnerships such as Amazon Career Choice programmes. Training is delivered through 65+ centres in the UK, Ireland, and internationally, with accreditation from major bodies including AAT, CILEX, BCS, Microsoft, Adobe, and Sage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Office & Secretarial Courses Comprehensive secretarial and administrative training across General Office Skills, Legal Secretary, Medical Secretary, EA/PA, Secretarial & Receptionist, Shorthand & Speedwriting, and Touch Typing courses for individuals and corporate learners pursuing administrative careers.
• Microsoft Office Courses Training programmes covering Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and general Microsoft Office essential skills, aligned with Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification, for individuals and staff teams.
• Sage, Accounting & Bookkeeping Courses Financial and accounting training including AAT qualifications, general accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, and Sage software courses for aspiring accountants, bookkeepers, and payroll professionals.
• Business Management Courses Professional development programmes covering essential business management, communication skills, hospitality management, HR, and project management for current and aspiring managers.
• Information Technology (IT) Courses IT training programmes including CompTIA A+ certification preparation, networks and cybersecurity, and server administration for IT support and infrastructure career pathways.
• Visual Design Courses Creative design training covering graphic design, Adobe Photoshop, and web design for aspiring designers and creative professionals.
• Software & Web Development Courses Programming and development training including software development and web development courses for learners pursuing software engineering and developer roles.
• Marketing Courses Marketing training programmes covering event management, essential marketing skills, and social media marketing, delivered in partnership with the Digital Marketing Institute.
• English Language & Professional Development Language and personal development courses including Pitman English language training and personal development programmes for learners seeking to improve communication and soft skills.
• Professional Diplomas Career-focused diploma programmes providing comprehensive skill sets mapped to specific career paths, including Executive Assistant, Medical Secretary, Legal Secretary, Administrative Assistant, Graphic Design, and Management Diplomas.
• Workshops & Seminars Expert-led workshop sessions for small groups focusing on specific topics including Executive Assistant/PA Masterclass, Meetings & Minutes, Professional Receptionist, and Speed Writing.
• Apprenticeships Apprenticeship programmes combining structured learning with real workplace experience, including Paralegal Apprenticeship, Medical Administrator Apprenticeship, and Business Administrator Apprenticeship.
• Corporate/Staff Training Tailored training programmes for organisations to develop staff skills according to business needs, including employee training, corporate training, and group training sessions.
• Pitman English Online English language course helping students improve Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking, awarded 60 CPD points upon successful completion.
• Business Startup Diploma Featured diploma programme designed to help entrepreneurs develop skills for starting and managing a new business.
• Amazon Career Choice Programmes Training programmes available to Amazon employees through Amazon's Career Choice benefit, covering up to 95% of tuition costs. Includes Advanced Office Skills, Software & Web Developer, Accounting with AAT, Data Analyst, Network Support Engineer, Administrative Assistant, IT Support Technician, and HR Assistant Diplomas.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000+ people train in centres each year with over 1 million courses completed historically
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Safal MRM FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025Partnership to launch Career Acceleration Programme (CAP) in Nairobi, Kenya. Five fully funded scholarships for young Kenyans aged 18-30 from underserved communities. Programme includes Administrative Assistant Diploma (170 learning hours) with Saturday masterclasses, job-readiness coaching, CV writing, LinkedIn optimization, and mock interviews. Target: 80% completion rate, 60% employment within 6 months.
• Amazon Career ChoicecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Career Choice is a pre-funded education benefit for Amazon employees. Pitman Training is an approved partner offering courses in office skills, web development, accounting, data analytics, IT support, and HR. Amazon covers 95% of tuition plus books and fees, up to £8,000 over 4 years per employee.
• CompTIAcoreTechnology or IntegrationCompTIA authorized partner providing IT certification courses including A+, Network+, Security+, and IT Specialist certifications. Students can earn industry-recognized CompTIA qualifications through Pitman Training programmes.
• ICDL Digital SkillscoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified ICDL Digital Skills centre offering ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) qualifications for digital competency.
• Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)coreTechnology or IntegrationAAT Approved training provider offering AAT qualifications in accounting and bookkeeping at various levels (Level 2 Certificate, Level 3 Diploma).
• CILEX (Chartered Institute of Legal Executives)coreTechnology or IntegrationCILEX approved centre offering legal secretarial qualifications including CILEX Level 2 qualification as part of Legal Secretary Diploma.
• BCS - The Chartered Institute for ITcoreTechnology or IntegrationBCS Approved Centre offering ECDL exams and courses, providing internationally recognized IT qualifications.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Office Specialist (MOS) authorized testing centre. Offers courses in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook with official certification.
• AdobecoreTechnology or IntegrationAdobe authorized training partner offering courses in Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator for graphic design and visual design programmes.
• Digital Marketing InstitutecoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified partner offering digital marketing courses and qualifications in partnership with the Digital Marketing Institute.
• SagecoreTechnology or IntegrationSage authorized training provider offering Sage accounting software courses. Students can gain Sage certification as part of accounting programmes.
• AMSPAR (City & Guilds)coreTechnology or IntegrationCity & Guilds/AMSPAR approved centre offering medical secretary and administrative qualifications including AMSPAR Level 2 and Level 3.
• Skills Development ScotlandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndividual Training Accounts (ITA) funding available for eligible Scottish learners to help cover costs of training programmes.
• ReAct Programme (Wales)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerReAct funding programme in Wales offering grants to help individuals gain new skills and return to work or progress in their careers.
• CPD Certification ServicecoreTechnology or IntegrationAccredited CPD Course provider. Most training programmes are CPD-accredited, and students receive CPD points upon successful completion.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reed Training: UK-based vocational training provider offering courses across office, IT, accounting, management and project management. Most direct competitor to Pitman in the UK adult vocational/short-course market, serving both individuals and corporate clients with similar portfolio breadth.
• ICS Learn: UK distance-learning and online provider of professional qualifications (AAT, bookkeeping, management, HR). Competes head-on with Pitman's online/distance learning arm and shares several of the same professional-body accreditations.
• Babington: UK accountancy and professional training provider offering AAT, CIMA, ACCA, bookkeeping and apprenticeship programmes. Overlaps directly with Pitman's accounting and apprenticeship offerings for individual and corporate learners.
• New Skills Academy: Online vocational CPD provider in the UK with broad catalogue covering office, IT, business and personal development. Closely comparable to Pitman's online/blended model for self-paced adult learners.
• BPP Professional Education: Large UK private training provider specializing in accountancy (AAT/ACCA), legal, banking, management and professional development. Comparable in subject breadth and employer-funded tuition model, though more university-style than Pitman.
• Open Study College: UK distance-learning college with portfolio spanning AAT, bookkeeping, HR, IT, teaching and management. Closely comparable to Pitman's distance-learning division in both subjects and target learner.
• Kaplan UK (Kaplan Financial & Kaplan Altior): UK professional training provider offering accountancy, financial services, legal and apprenticeship pathways. Comparable employer-funded tuition, apprenticeship programme structure, and AAT/ACCA focus to Pitman.

Broad incumbents

• LinkedIn Learning: Global subscription-based video learning platform owned by Microsoft, covering office, IT, business, design and creative skills. A scaled incumbent alternative to Pitman's online catalogue, bundled with LinkedIn subscriptions for employer-sponsored learners.
• Skillsoft: Enterprise corporate learning platform offering IT, business, leadership and compliance content with certification prep (CompTIA, Cisco, AWS, Microsoft). Competes for the same corporate-training budget Pitman targets with its staff training business.

Emerging players

• Pluralsight: Technology skills platform offering deep IT, cloud, cybersecurity and developer training including major certification paths (AWS, Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA). Most directly comparable to Pitman's IT/CompTIA certification training arm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pitmantraining

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pitman Training