BTSC has gone into Administration

Originally Posted by indigo

I witnessed a trainee being kicked of the course for parking his car in the visitors
area. The person who kicked him of the course there and then was the security guard. GREAT PITY. BTSC had excellent facilities and trainers but the management were ruthless.

That sounds like some form of American bible cult taking full control! scary

It's just a natural result of the downturn in the building trade and a result of fear factor of the recession. The demand has dropped right off for all trades, and the people wanting refurbishments and new bathrooms etc simply either do not have the money or are too nervous about their own jobs to splash out. Established plumbers are finding it hard enough at the moment so new entrants have even less chance of success.

The training centres jumped on the back of the boom in the business, and like the rest of the trades are suffering.

There is a knock-on effect with suppiers as well. As we all know, Plumb Center has closed loads of branches due to downturn in trade. My local merchants has shed half the staff and two years ago you used to have to queue to get served and now you are often the only customer in.

All those Polish plumbers seem to have disappeared too.

On the other hand, don't knock the people who go on the short courses with no experience - gives us plenty of work putting their jobs right after they have finished!

Where are they based?

manchester is still trading? very confused

non of this adds up, they still have a full website going?

There is nothing illegal with a company ceasing trading and then re-inventing itself under a different name. It is an often used 'trick' to legally default on creditors to avoid paying debts. It IS ILLEGAL however to continue trading whilst the directors are fully aware that their company is insolvent. They are liable to prosecution and I respectfully suggest that anyone caught up in this scenario, probe the trading whilst insolvent issue, to gain any recourse to lost funds. Similarly, it is law that any Director of any UK based company, must disclose his or her correct and up to date address. Failure to do so is a criminal (READ THE WORDS - CRIMINAL) offence. The BTSC boys are being very clever. You have to play them at their own game and know the law. This in no way addresses any moral issues. I merely state fact and I also state that I have no involvement whatsoever in the BTSC issues. I'm just old fashioned with a conscience - I hate to see anyone being taken for a ride or ripped off.

You can always do a web check here for status:
WebCHeck - Select and Access Company Information

If they default on providing accounts and returns by the due dates, Companies House will investigate.

It is also worth contactoing their plumbers merhcants as they will probably have unpaid accounts with them.

how do we know for sure that they have gone into administration? if they are still trading you would presume they are still going wouldnt we?

The website means nothing - maybe the hosting service has been paid in advance.

The company may not have been forced into administration yet if the creditors have not taken action so far. Alternatively if the problems was just down to cashflow, a liquidator may have kept it operating in order to sell as a going concern.

ive been told the centre in manchester has been shut down, is this the case? anyone on the course at the moment who can say its still going or not?

I'm on the course in manchester at the moment and it has not shut down. Apparently there is a new owner who is trying to put right some of the problems caused by the previous management. They seem to be asking for a lot more input from the staff and taking on new ideas. There seems to be a plan to do Electrical training there now, they even have a new addition to the signwork on the building to indicate the fact. Btsc have great facilities but the way some of us trainees have been treated in the past really is out of order. I paid around 8 grand for what was supposed to be a flexible course but I'm now looking at having to pay over £300 for each of my 2 remaining modules. A lot of the bad publicity got back to prospective trainees and that appears to be why many did not take up the course, hence no trainees and hence very little money coming through the company.

Is it busy lakesdweller?

Its true and at the same time it isnt true.

That link is from 2007. and I signed up with btsc chessington in 2008 and has just completed my level 3 tech cert, unvented hot water and water regs this year. And when I say this year I mean a few weeks ago I did My Unvented and water regs.

so its still running, why do people say it isnt?

Originally Posted by fuzzy

so its still running, why do people say it isnt?

Because like I said, its a bit of a funny one, btsc has gone under, but btsc uk is what is now trading.