SHANGHAI, March 23 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Oxford Professional Training Ltd., a leading education and corporate training provider announced today that it had attracted strategic investment from The Aston Educational Group (http://www.astonschool.com ), an English language training organization with 60 English schools spread across 42 cities in China.
UK-based training organization, Oxford Professional Limited (http://www.oxford-training.com ), founded in 1999 and working together with the China International Intellectech Corporation Training Center ("CTC") since 2002, is among the premier providers of learning solutions for individuals and organisations in People's Republic of China. Oxford Professional's clients in China include more than 40 Fortune 500 companies and some of the largest local organisations in the country.
In the field of Financial and Accountancy, Oxford Professional Training's partner in training is BPP Professional Education. BPP is a world leader in the fields of accountancy (ACCA, CIMA, ACA), law, actuarial, financial services, sales, HR management and many other areas. Founded in 1976 and listed on the London Exchange, BPP Professional Education is one of the UK's largest professional education companies with 40 offices in 15 countries around the world.
Commenting on the investment, Mr. Iain Young, Managing Director of Oxford Professional Training, said: "We are delighted to be working with The Aston Education Group to form a strategic alliance that will enable us to leverage off each others' strengths and realise our ambitions of becoming the leading corporate training provider and education brand in China. We look forward to continuously benefiting from Aston's experience and insights into the China market as we refine our business model and strategy to take advantage of opportunities even in a time of economic uncertainty."
Mr. David Wisner, CEO of The Aston Education Group, said: "This investment illustrates Aston's strategy in China -- to invest in leading companies in attractive sectors with capable and a professional management team. We are a growth organisation, and believe that together with Oxford Professional Training we can provide an unprecedented contribution to the achievement of quality and superior service in this important sector."
China's corporate training industry still thrives even in an economic downturn, as there is even greater need to provide employees with the skills and knowledge required to improve organizational efficiency. The country's education market grew to an estimated US$143 billion in 2007 and is predicted to expand at a compound average growth rate (CAGR) of 12% to an estimated US$200 billion until the end of 2010. The government is encouraging investment in education as it seeks to build a knowledge economy and improve corporate performance.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Iain Young is the Managing Director of Oxford Professional Training Limited and the Chief Representative in Beijing.
Iain has over nine years of education consulting and management experience in the PRC with Metro Education and Wall Street English, introducing to the market corporate and public training programmes in the fields of business, finance, accounting, management, languages and business communication. Previously, he worked for five years in Underwriting for Zurich and Royal & SunAlliance and as a broker for Aon. Iain has a Bachelor (Hons) Degree in Business Economics from Salford University, UK and is a member of the Association of Chartered Institute of Insurers (ACII). Iain also has a high level of fluency in Mandarin Chinese.
Email: iain.young@oxford-professional.com
Mobile: +86-139-166-222-51
David Wisner is CEO and Founder of The Aston Education Group.
David Wisner has over 12 years of experience managing educational projects in the PRC, Vietnam, Singapore and the US with Aston Educational Group including corporate training programs, children's educational programs, adult educational programs and college preparatory programs.
David has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Email: dwisner@astonschool.com
Mobile: +86-138-863-556-37
About China International Intellectech Corporation (CIIC)
China International Intellectech Corporation Training Center ("CTC"), a subsidiary of the state-owned enterprise China International Intellectech Corporation (CIIC) and managed by the Central Government, PRC, is the leading provider of HR Services in the country.
CIIC, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Beijing, has subsidiaries inside and outside of China to be ready for wide cooperation in the economy, technology and talent covering 76 countries and regions around the world.
