A veterinary awarding body has been bought by a private equity-backed company.
VetSkill Ltd was acquired by Phenna Group last week to operate under the firm’s animal welfare and food safety division.
It marks the latest private equity investment into the further education and skills training arena.
Phenna Group was sold by private equity firm Inflexion in 2022 to fellow private equity investor Oakley Capital.
VetSkill is recognised by Ofqual to offer around 25 qualifications in the animal care space and is a government-approved assessment body for more than 10 apprenticeship standards.
Government stats show VetSkill awarded over 1,500 certificates in the last two years and completed over 1,200 end-point assessments for apprentices between 2020 and 2024. Its latest accounts show the company had 176 employees for the year ending December 31, 2024.
Leslie Heaton-Smith, exiting founder of VetSkill, said: “By joining Phenna Group, VetSkill will be better placed to take advantage of growth opportunities, expand its market presence into new sectors and position itself for a very successful future.”
Phenna Group is headquartered in Nottingham and invests in niche, independent Testing, Inspection, Certification and Compliance (TICC) companies that serve multiple sectors including the built environment, infrastructure and food and life sciences.
VetSkill will come under the leadership of E&J, Phenna Group’s specialist veterinary public health certification and inspection business.
A spokesperson for Phenna said E&J works with the government to “safeguard animal welfare within abattoirs and ensure that meat is safe to enter the food chain”.
The addition of VetSkill “enables E&J to diversify its range of services by providing qualification and assessment capabilities”.
Charles Hartwell, Phenna Group’s divisional managing director for food and life sciences in the UK and CEO of E&J, said: “I’m delighted to welcome VetSkill into the E&J family. Their strong reputation, sector expertise, and commitment to high-quality assessment aligns perfectly with our values. I’m very much looking forward to supporting Sam and the VetSkill team as we continue to grow and broaden our impact.”
VetSkill CEO Sam Double added: “This is a significant strategic step for VetSkill to allow us to build on our current successes and continue a trajectory of growth. I am excited to be working alongside Charles, E&J, and the wider Phenna Group as we expand VetSkill’s qualification and assessment portfolio and align our shared values to inspire even more learners and apprentices to success.”
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