Applied Business Academy to close all higher education courses
David Kernohan is Deputy Editor of Wonkhe
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Applied Business Academy Limited, an Office for Students approved provider that delivers undergraduate degree business courses via a sub-contractual arrangement with Leeds Trinity University and a validation arrangement with the University of Buckingham, is to close all higher education courses with immediate effect.
The move follows the announcement of an Office for Students investigation into ABA’s compliance with registration conditions around information provision, management, and governance in April of this year. Although the announcement (made in July) was at pains to make it clear that
The decision to open an investigation does not mean that any form of non-compliance or wrong-doing has taken place.
OfS has now revealed that
The Department for Education instructed the Student Loans Company to suspend all tuition fee payments to ABA, until the OfS has completed its investigation into ABA.
Leeds Trinity University and the University of Buckingham, as academic partners of ABA, are in touch with around 300 current students who are affected – on the currently-offered BSc (Hons) Business Management (University of Buckingham) and BA (Hons) International Business (Leeds Trinity University), and the former BA (Hons) Innovation in Learning and Development (Top Up) validated by the University of West London. OfS has reported that the University of Buckingham has offered transfer options to affected students.
Affected students have also been encouraged to contact the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIAHE) if they are dissatisfied with the actions taken to support them. The Office for Students has provided contact details for the two academic partners (and to the University of West London – an academic partner until 2023-24), alongside links to mental health and suicide prevention strategies.
The Applied Business Academy website has been updated to indicate that all higher education provision has ended and both campuses are closed – it also provides contact details for validating and partner institutions. Social media accounts appear to have been locked or deleted.
Well that’s one down, how many more?
Having suffered from the long term long reach effects of HBS, both in industry (IBM) and the University sector, I wonder if ‘for profit’ business school actually do the sector any good, at all.
David this is an interesting article. However, having been in education and training for the last 48 years, it’s appears that things are getting a lot worse. The regulatory bodies are totally turning a blind eye to the quality of training. For example, why are training providers putting learners on Entry Level 1 functional skills and then within 12 weeks progressing them to Entry 2, 3, level 1 and 2. For this they will pick up £750×5 =£3,750 per learner with achievement rates greater than 92%. Ridiculous. Colleges are not able to recruit these large numbers and their achievement rates are always less than around 60%. Why?
Employability courses are the same. Private training providers use assessment books that learners complete- no real learning is taking place in class. Where are the awarding body regulators. I’ve been on both sides of camp where I know awarding bodies are turning a blind eye because they just want to cash in the registration fees. Direct Claim Status should be stopped as it is abused.
Training providers fail Ofsted and yet get another ESFA contract under new entity. What is going on in the sector.
Directors of private training providers hold several entities where they spread their risk. One entity delivers FE and the other HE. I am extremely disappointed by the lack of due diligence carried out by the ESFA, OfS and DfE. Millions of tax payers money is wasted by rogue companies. Needs to be stopped.