What IPS International does

IPS International is a UK-based independent training provider headquartered in Rochester, Kent, operating continuously since 1986. Originally formed as the training division of an international steelmaking group to deliver specialist Engineering Maintenance training for industrial process plants, the company became independent through a management buyout in 2000 and incorporated as a limited company in 1997. Over four decades it has expanded its curriculum from engineering maintenance into automotive, construction, business and digital, and health and social care apprenticeships, alongside commercial technical courses, AAT examination services, ELCAS-funded training for armed forces personnel, and employer-facing technical consultancy.

The company serves two primary customer segments: UK employers seeking apprenticeship placements and workforce upskilling (enterprise partners including National Grid, Pfizer UK, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Southern Water, RWE, BAE Systems, Environment Agency, Southeastern Trains, and Premier Foods), and individual learners aged 16+ pursuing vocational qualifications from Level 2 through Level 4 HNC. Its technology stack is built on third-party edtech platforms: OneFile for e-portfolio management, Moodle for learning management, BKSB for skills diagnostics, Pearson for accredited qualifications, and Stripe for payment processing. The company holds Investors in People Gold, Matrix, and Disability Confident accreditations, and operates from two Medway City Estate venues in Rochester with additional on-site employer delivery.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams: government-funded apprenticeship training via the UK Apprenticeship Levy and co-investment schemes (multi-year contracts), commercial technical course fees, AAT examination booking transaction fees, ELCAS-funded training, and professional services from technical consultancy. Distribution is primarily regional across Southeast England, combining direct training centre delivery, on-site employer delivery, online booking, and phone/email sales channels. Marketing emphasizes content, social media, careers fairs, and industry event sponsorship.

Name

IPS International

Legal name

IPS-International Ltd

Website

https://ips-international.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IPS International is a UK independent training provider in Rochester, Kent, delivering apprenticeships (engineering, automotive, business, health and social care), commercial technical courses, AAT exam booking, and consultancy to employers and individual learners across Southeast England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Training and Apprenticeship Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Electrical Controls, PLC & Industrial Automation (EDAOABAE)

Keywords

• Vocational training services
• Engineering apprenticeships
• Commercial technical courses
• Employer upskilling programmes
• Technical consultancy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Apprenticeship Training: IPS delivers apprenticeship programs at various levels (Level 2-5) across engineering, automotive, construction, business, digital, and health & social care sectors. Revenue comes from government funding mechanisms for apprenticeship training and employer contributions.
2. Commercial Technical Courses: Technical commercial courses including electrical, welding, mechanical, City & Guilds, and bespoke courses offered to businesses and individuals. Courses can be tailored to individual business requirements with flexible scheduling.
3. AAT Examination Services: Flexible booking service for external AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) assessments at their Medway City Estate venue with free parking and public transport access.
4. Technical Consultancy: Consultancy services for employers including staff upskilling and reskilling programs, and technical training program customization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IPS International is a UK vocational training provider delivering apprenticeship programmes (Engineering & Manufacturing, Automotive, Construction, Business & Digital, Health & Social Care) and commercial technical courses (electrical, welding, mechanical, City & Guilds, PLC, electro-pneumatics) to both employers and individual learners. Services also include AAT exam booking, ELCAS-funded training for armed forces personnel, and technical consultancy for staff upskilling and reskilling, delivered through blended classroom, on-site, and e-learning formats across Kent and Medway.

Product overview

IPS International is a training provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of apprenticeship programmes and commercial training courses. The core offerings include five apprenticeship streams: Engineering & Manufacturing (with pathways from Level 2 to Level 4 including BTEC HNC), Automotive, Construction & Logistics, Business & Digital Skills, and Health & Social Care & Early Years. Supporting these are commercial training services including Technical Commercial Courses (electrical, welding, mechanical, PLC control, electro-pneumatics), AAT Exam Booking, ELCAS-funded training, Education & Management Courses, and HSC Commercial Courses. The company also provides Technical Consultancy services for employer workforce development. All offerings are delivered through a blended approach combining classroom-based learning at their Rochester/Kent centres, on-site training, and digital platforms including Moodle and OneFile e-portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Engineering & Manufacturing Apprenticeships
• Automotive Apprenticeships
• Construction Apprenticeships
• Business & Digital Apprenticeships
• Health & Social Care and Early Years Apprenticeships
• HNC Level 4 Engineering Apprenticeship
• Technical Commercial Courses
• AAT Exam Booking
• ELCAS Training
• Education & Management Courses
• HSC Commercial Courses
• Technical Consultancy

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% of employers report improved productivity when hiring apprentices
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KnaufminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for IPS International EngAwards23 at Gillingham Football Club. Represents one of multiple corporate sponsors supporting the apprenticeship recognition event.
• Pfizer UKcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for EngAwards23 and employer partner hiring apprentices. Jacob Fisher from Pfizer UK was named Electrical Apprentice of the Year.
• National GridcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for EngAwards23 and long-term apprenticeship employer partner. Ed Carter from National Grid Partners speaks at IPS events.
• BAE SystemsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for IPS International EngAwards23. Represents defense sector partnership in skills development.
• Coca-Cola Europacific PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for EngAwards23 and employer partner. James, engineering technician, completed apprenticeship at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.
• Wholemeal Sandwich CompanyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for IPS International EngAwards23 at Gillingham Football Club.
• Mid Kent ElectricalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for IPS International EngAwards23, representing local electrical industry support for apprenticeships.
• Southeastern TrainscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for EngAwards23 and employer partner. Juliana Teichert, engineering apprentice with South East Trains, received 'Ben Sibbald Award'.
• VPIminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for IPS International EngAwards23.
• Cafe2UminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for IPS International EngAwards23.
• Premier FoodsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2024Event sponsor for IPS International EngAwards23, representing food manufacturing sector support for apprenticeships.
• Kent & Medway Apprenticeship Graduation CeremonycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2024IPS has been a sponsor since the ceremony's inception in 2019. In 2025, IPS was silver sponsor and received the Amazing Apprenticeship Training Provider Award. Ceremony Organiser Mark Hill presented the award.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing service enabling credit card transactions on the website. __stripe_mid, __stripe_sid, and m cookies are used for secure online transactions without storing credit card information.
• PearsoncoreTechnology or IntegrationQualifications provider for BTEC courses including HNC Level 4 Engineering programmes with pathways in electrical & electronic and mechanical engineering.
• OneFilecoreTechnology or IntegrationE-portfolio service used by trainers to track apprentice progress and support peer collaboration. Enables online portfolio management for apprenticeship evidence collection.
• Southern WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor employer partner with apprentices in Internal Controls and Automation, Process Operator, and Control and Instrumentation roles. Ben O'Leary and John Beerling are featured apprentices.
• RWEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenewable energy employer partner. Olivia Jackson is featured as Offshore Wind Turbine Technician apprentice.
• GrainLNGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy sector employer partner. Sam Freeman is featured as Control and Instrumentation Engineer apprentice.
• Environment AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment employer partner. Jamie Butcher featured as HNC engineering apprentice in mechanical team, started apprenticeship in 2019.
• Avante Care & SupportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare employer partner providing Health & Social Care apprenticeships. Claire Saxby, Manager, spoke at events about apprenticeship value.
• Phoenix Medical PracticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSME employer partner that has taken on 3 apprentices, stating it is a 'fantastic service to bring in younger staff members and gives the ability to train and mould them'.
• MTS Cleansing Services LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partner for Heavy Vehicle Maintenance Apprenticeship. Jack Gorst completed apprenticeship with guidance to 'dive into practical learning'.
• Gillingham Football ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for IPS International EngAwards23 event. Record-breaking 250 attendees at this venue.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Skills Training UK: UK apprenticeship and skills training provider operating across business, digital, and care pathways; directly comparable to IPS's Business & Digital and Health & Social Care apprenticeship streams.
• JTL Training: UK specialist apprenticeship provider focused on building services engineering (electrical, plumbing) — a directly comparable specialist technical apprenticeship provider with similar levy-funded revenue mechanics.
• Lifetime Training: One of the UK's largest independent apprenticeship and training providers, offering programmes across multiple sectors including health, dental, childcare, and business — directly comparable in operating model, apprenticeship levy dependency, and multi-sector portfolio.
• Remit Training: UK apprenticeship and commercial training provider covering automotive, business, and care sectors; comparable in multi-stream apprenticeship portfolio, employer engagement model, and geographic focus outside major metros.
• Seetec: UK training and employability group offering apprenticeships and commercial training to employers and learners — a broader but closely comparable competitor in the apprenticeship delivery space.

Emerging players

• QA Ltd: UK-based technology and commercial training provider with growing apprenticeship offerings — overlaps with IPS's technical and commercial course portfolio and competes for the same employer upskilling budgets.

Broad incumbents

• City & Guilds: Long-established UK vocational qualifications body whose technical certifications IPS delivers; comparable as a brand-name incumbent shaping the same apprenticeship and technical training market.
• Pearson (UK Qualifications & Training): Global qualifications and training incumbent that underpins many of IPS's BTEC/HNC pathways and competes for employer training budgets at a much larger scale.
• Babcock International (Training division): Large incumbent defence and nuclear services group that runs significant apprenticeship and technical training programmes in the UK — comparable as a much larger player operating in the same apprenticeship/technical training category.

Regional players

• East Kent College (EKC Group): Regional further education college group in Kent delivering technical, engineering, and apprenticeship programmes to local employers — a direct regional competitor for IPS's Kent/Medway employer and learner base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IPSint
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpGGh8kgG3AYhWmR1Y1pmCg
• Facebookfacebook.com/IPSInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ips-international-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/ipsinternationalltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 IPS International