Journalism training centre noSWeat ceases trading

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London-based journalism training centre noSWeat has announced it has ceased trading after its "directors were unable to agree a rescue package with the company's creditors". In a press statement the training centre said "negotiations with the landlord broke down and the company had no option but to vacate its premises and cease to trade".

In August last year the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) decided to stop its accreditation of courses at the training centre. The NCTJ said the decision was taken after directors agreed the courses, a full-time and part-time course in newspaper journalism, "did not fully meet the NCTJ standard, aims and performance indicators".

At the time CEO and founder of noSWeat Stephen Ward said he would seek a grant of appeal from qualifications regulator Ofqual over the decision, but Ofqual responded to say the decision to renew accreditation was operational and not a regulatory matter. At the time Ward said it was "imperative we work with the NCTJ to restore relations we have had for over a decade".

Today he told Journalism.co.uk: "Everything that can be done is being done to ensure students can continue their studies with another provider."

In its press statement online NoSWeat said it "has successfully trained hundreds of journalists since it began in 1999".

"Graduates have achieved some of the highest goals in the industry securing staff jobs on national broadsheets and with national and international broadcasters.

"The directors were unable to agree a rescue package with the company's creditors. Latterly, negotiations with the landlord broke down and the company had no option but to vacate its premises and cease to trade.

"KSA Group Limited has been instructed to place the company into liquidation".