BPP Education Group announces acquisition of Sprott Shaw College in British Columbia, Canada
BPP Education Group, a leading global education business and one of the largest privately owned higher education institutions in Europe, has further expanded its portfolio in Canada with the acquisition of Sprott Shaw College, a highly reputable private career college in British Columbia.
Sprott Shaw College, founded in 1903, has 16 campuses across British Columbia meeting the needs of students from Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Okanagan and Interior. As one of the largest regulated career colleges, programmes are designed with cultural awareness and inclusivity at the forefront, ensuring that content and delivery respects and reflects the unique educational needs of Canada’s diverse communities. With a focus on workforce readiness, the College is uniquely positioned to connect students with real-world opportunities through strategic partnerships with employers, offering programmes to support industries such as Healthcare, Nursing, Paramedicine, Dental, Early Childhood Education, Business, Human Services and Trades.
This acquisition marks a powerful alignment of vision and values. BPP’s global expertise in professional and vocational education complements Sprott Shaw’s deep local roots and commitment to developing essential workforce readiness programmes that address critical skill gaps. The partnership will facilitate the growth and enhancement of programmes that meet the evolving labor needs.
The acquisition of Sprott Shaw College supports BPP’s growth strategy – which is backed by leading European private equity firm, TDR Capital – of geographical expansion, extending its portfolio and global footprint through the targeted acquisitions of high-potential education businesses. The Sprott Shaw College acquisition provides a complimentary alignment with the already owned Acsenda School of Management and Arbutus College, enabling BPP to offer a comprehensive suite of professional education programmes, ranging from certificate to degree levels, serving the educational needs of both domestic and international students.
Sprott Shaw College was a subsidiary of Global Education Communities Corporation (GECC), one of the largest education and student housing investment companies in Canada.
Graham Gaddes, BPP Education Group CEO, commented,
“Sprott Shaw College has stood as a pillar of innovation, adaptability and student success for over 100 years. Its long history of providing high quality education to address critical skills gaps is impressive. This acquisition marks an important milestone into BPP’s internationalisation and meeting the needs of both domestic and international students in British Columbia. We are impressed by the professionalism of the staff and their passion for education, which aligns with BPP. The acquisition will support SSC’s plans to continue to be agile in meeting the needs of the domestic and international community, with programmes developed with cultural awareness and inclusivity in mind. We admire what Sprott Shaw College has achieved to date and look forward to welcoming the team to the BPP Education Group.”
Toby Chu, Chairman, President and CEO of Global Education Communities Corporation (GECC), said:
“We are very pleased to report the closing of this transaction following intensive efforts over the past six months. We are very proud of the success and growth Sprott Shaw College has achieved since we took ownership in 2007. For the past 18 years, GECC and Sprott Shaw have navigated major events including the 2008 global economic crisis, the pandemic beginning in 2020, ensuing years of inflation and high interest rates, and government-imposed reductions in the number of international students allowed to enter Canada. Despite these challenges, the college has grown substantially in size with integrity and has gained respect from the global education community. I am confident that Sprott Shaw College will continue to flourish under BPP’s ownership.”
