Prospects History | Prospects (2023)

1995

Prospects was formed following privatisation of a group of careers services in South London, since then it has grown and diversified into a large, national and international group, focusing on education, employment and training.

1996

Services were launched in South London (Bexley, Bromley, Croydon and Sutton) trading as 'Prospects.' We won contracts for careers services in the Black Country (Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley) and North London (Barnet, Enfield and Haringey).

1998

Prospects won a major commercial contract to handle the recruitment of staff at Bluewater shoping centre and launched Prospects Distribution Services which later became Prospects Education Resources.

2001

We acquired London South Bank Careers, which delivered careers services in Lewisham, Greenwich, Lambeth, Southwark including 'Elephant Angels', a community advocacy service, and won Connexions Phase 1 contracts (information, advice and guidance (IAG) careers services for young people).

2004

We acquired Careerfinder Ltd, Somerset, an adult information, advice and guidance (IAG) services company and Inspire, an inspection company. We won six adult (IAG) subregional contracts including South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire & Rutland. won several ESF funded contracts and launched the Leading Parent Partnership Award.

2005

We acquired PKR, an inspection company and won a major Ofsted contract to carry out school inspections in Greater London and part of the Home Counties. Prospects Events was launched and won contracts in Norfolk and Somerset.

2006

We won the Brent Careers information, advice and guidance (IAG) and London Offender Learning contracts. In Somerset, Dorset and the West of England we won Jobcentre Plus contracts. In the same year we acquired Largenville Ltd, an events organiser and launched Prospects Recruitment Services.

2007

Prospects acquired FEdS, now Prospects Interchange, a unique organisation linking education and major businesses. Prospects was awarded a contract in Gloucestershire to provide integrated Youth Support Services and an additional Connexions services contract in Hounslow.

2008

We acquired Gabbitas Education, providing services to independent schools. We won Connexions contracts in Havering, City of London, Hackney, Milton Keynes and Brighton. In Greater London we were awarded the regional contract for Next Step (adult IAG) and acquired RECEX, a graduate fairs organiser. Prospects gained a contract with Abu Dhabi University.

2009

Prospects opened Gabbitas offices in China and South Korea and acquired CfA, a niche recruitment agency servicing the charitable sector. We gained Connexions contracts in Leeds, Barnsley, Rotherham, and the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Prospects was awarded the Community Task Force prime contract in Devon and Cornwall and in London won the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) IAG contract.

2010

We won Ofsted Early Years Inspection Service (Midlands and North) and Next Step (adult IAG) prime contracts in Greater London and, as part of a Joint Venture company, Yorkshire and the Humber. We set up Prospects Improve, our education consultancy. We gained new Connexions contracts in Barking and Dagenham, Bradford and Westminster and delivered SkillsCymru, a national skills and careers show in Wales.

2011

Prospects won a place on the Department for Education (DfE) Project Management and Educational Services (PMES) framework as provider of educational services to new academies. We sponsored the first Prospects Academy in Gloucester.

We gained a major contract with BIG Lottery, in Brent, supporting care leavers and young offenders and secured a position on the Department for Work and Pensions Employment Related Services Framework (ERSS). Prospects was awarded the Work Programme prime contract in the South West and won the care leavers' Pathway Services contract in Calderdale. We also delivered the visitor marketing contract for WorldSkills London, welcoming 200,000 young people and families.

Prospects named ‘Education Company of the Year’ by Assignment Report.

2012

Prospects acquired South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre and won Leicestershire targeted IAG services. We won the Wakefield targeted IAG and Youth Contract services. We were also successful in Youth Contract tenders in Yorkshire and Humber and the West Midlands.

We acquired South London Business and won the 'in custody' contract, delivering careers information, advice and guidance (IAG) for offenders in custody, in Yorkshire and the Humber and Prospects Interchange launched.

We won ‘Education Consultant of the Year’ from Education Investor.

2013

We won a new larger contract to deliver targeted youth support services in Gloucestershire, including support for young people not in education, employment or training, looked-after children, care leavers, children with disabilities, young carers and young offenders. This follows a highly successful partnership with the County Council over the last four years leading and managing the service and providing career services.

We gained an enterprise education contract for all Welsh schools, opened new offices in China and were invited to take over the Youth Contract in North and South London.

2014

The partnership between Prospects and Gloucestershire County Council won the award for best Public/Private Partnership at the 2014 Local Government Chronicle (LGC) awards.

Gabbitas opened a new office in Dubai and signed an agreement to manage four new British curriculum schools in Dubai backed by Mr Mohan Valrani.

Prospects begins delivering the new National Careers Service contracts. Prospects retained the London contract and also expanded its coverage to include provision of the service in South West and West Midlands, all as prime contractor. As part of the Careers Yorkshire and Humber consortium Prospects provides the Service in South Yorkshire. Prospects also provides the In Custody element of the National Careers Service in its delivery areas and across the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber.

Nick Bell, begins as Chief Executive and leads the Prospects Group as it continues to grow.

2015

Prospects was selected to provide education for all young people within Feltham Young Offenders Institution (YOI) for the next five years from March 2015.

Two local authorities selected Prospects to provide Early Years Services from April 2015. Hampshire County Council appointed Prospects to support Early Years education providers. Kent County Council appointed Prospects to provide the Childminding Development Support Services for the next three years through its specialist Early Years Services team.

Prospects joined with Fieldfisher and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) to create a new guide on employee ownership in public services to coincide with UK Employee Ownership Day.

2016

Prospects celebrates its 20th anniversary and wins £20 million pounds worth of contracts, providing targeted youth services in Coventry, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, and the Youth Entrepreneurship Service for the Welsh Government.

Awarded contracts in Yorkshire, Leicestershire and London to provide specialist support to young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET

Won contracts to support underemployed adults and those aged 50 plus to increase their earning potential and work chances

Won two contracts in Birmingham to provide support to young people who are NEET including those who are traditionally outside of NEET support.

Acquired Optimus Education a leading provider of professional development support and school improvement services for schools, academies and other educational institutions

The first Skills Northern Ireland took place in Belfast.

2017

Prospects joins Shaw Trust, a national charity working to create brighter futures for the people and communities it serves. The Shaw Trust Group; Prospects, Shaw Education Trust, Ixion, Forth Sector, Disabled Living Foundation and Shaw Trust, employs almost 3,200 staff and has a combined turnover of £250 million.

Awarded Good grading in all prime National Careers Serviceareas following Ofsted inspections.

Homes2Inspire joined the Prospects Group.

Prospects launched independent fostering agency, Fostering to Inspire across Yorkshire and the Humber.

2018

Prospects provides careers information, advice and guidance to you people in Havering, which has been scored in quintile one for reducing NEET and knowing what local young people are actually doing. In Havering, just 1.4% of young peoples’ activity is not known and the NEET was just 2.1% leading to a combined performance of 3.5% against the national average of 6.0%.

Prospects begins delivering the new National Careers Service contracts. Prospects remains the prime contractor for the London and West Midlands contract.

Prospects has been re-certified with both Investors in Diversity and the prestigious, Leaders in Diversity, by the National Centre for Diversity.

Prospects independent fostering agency, Fostering to Inspire, based in Wakefield, has been rated ‘Good in all areas’ by Ofsted in its first inspection.