Business: Provider of vocational skills training

Location: Port Ellesmere, Cheshire

Turnover: £35m

Transaction date: 27 September 2007

Protocol Skills is a subsidiary of the Protocol Group providing apprenticeships and NVQ training to around 15,000 learners per year. It is one of only three national vocational training providers in the highly fragmented 'work-based learning' market in the UK. It has a strong market position in the retail and hospitality sectors which are amongst the highest users of vocational skills training.