Sovereign supports launch of new training group

We are pleased to announce the launch of Knovia, a market-leading commercial training business specialising in the healthcare and education sectors.

Backed by Sovereign, Knovia consists of existing portfolio company Paragon Skills, a national provider of care, education and associated professional training apprenticeships, and Tempdent, the UK's leading specialist in dental training.

Being part of the Knovia Group will enable Paragon Skills and Tempdent to combine resources and expertise, allowing both companies to continue to deliver exceptional results to their learners, employer partners and core sectors. The new group structure will not affect the day-to-day operations of either business, and both will continue to operate as usual.

The plan is for Knovia to acquire more companies in the years ahead as part of its mission to become the leading provider of healthcare and education training in the country. Knovia businesses are driven by strong, ambitious and experienced leadership with a culture of growth and success, committed to ensuring quality, compliance, and operational excellence. They are a group of sector-focused, best-in-class companies that are at the forefront of their sectors, supporting the adoption of impactful and relevant technology to drive sustainable change and innovation.

Paragon Skills is a multi-award-winning training provider specialising in the care and education sectors. It has been delivering high-quality training since 1998 and now works with over 7,000 learners and 2,000 employers a year.

Tempdent is a leading dental training provider with more than 25 years of experience in the dental industry. Tempdent offers a range of high-quality apprenticeships, post-registration qualifications, CPD and recruitment services for aspiring dental professionals across the UK.

James Dargan, Director, Sovereign Capital Partners, said: "Bringing Paragon Skills and Tempdent together under the Knovia banner marks an exciting chapter for both companies. Already leaders in their fields, they will now be better positioned to drive innovation to meet the evolving demands of commercial training. Knovia has a well-invested, highly sustainable and scalable business model, driven by an experienced and ambitious management team, and we look forward to continuing our work with them on this next step in their growth journey."

Mark Botha, CEO, Paragon Skills, said: "We are excited to join forces with Tempdent under our parent company Knovia, working more closely together as leading training providers in our core chosen sectors will allow us to offer the highest level of quality training, ensuring that we are delivering our pledge of delivering outstanding teaching and learning to every learner every time."

Lorraine Nadel, Managing Director, Tempdent, said: "We are delighted to be teaming up with Paragon Skills as part of Knovia Group. Tempdent and Paragon Skills share common values in providing excellent teaching and support to our learners and clients and we look forward to sharing our best practices together to continue growing as leading training providers in our sectors."

Ben Pike, Chair, Knovia, said: "We are excited to be launching Knovia as a platform that supports the ambitions of the businesses and leaders within our group. With our human-centered, technology-supported learning models, we are committed to building a scalable and sustainable education group. Both Paragon Skills and Tempdent share a best-in-class approach to learning and a passion to deliver the measurable social impact that underpins our group objectives."

Notes to editors:

About Sovereign Capital Partners

Sovereign is a specialist investor that focuses on partnering talented management teams and high-quality businesses, in specific service-based sectors, to deliver accelerated growth both in the UK and internationally. We do this through our proven strategy of Buy & Build. Whether through organic growth, acquisition or a combination of both, we provide strategic investment and look for innovative ways to create not just value, but businesses we’re truly proud of. Sovereign Capital Partners LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

About Paragon Skills

Paragon Skills is an award-winning, Ofsted rated ‘Good’, national training provider inspiring over 7,000 learners annually and working with over 2,000 businesses to deliver apprenticeships in a high-quality, consistent way. Our dedicated focus on the care and education sectors means we are deeply rooted within these sectors and have in-depth knowledge and understanding of what is required from a training perspective.

Our learners rate our teaching and learning support ‘Excellent’ in over 84% of sessions and learners make strong links between ‘classroom’ learning and their job role. We have an EPA pass rate of 99% with 65% of those achieving a merit or distinction.

High-quality apprenticeship delivery is our mantra and ensures all our activity aligns with our pledge, “to deliver an outstanding teaching & learning experience to every learner, every time”.

Our client needs and learner experiences are at the heart of our business. Paragon Skills is proud to achieve some of the highest success and achievement rates in the industry which is a testimony to our commitment to quality and impactful learning and support.

About Tempdent

Tempdent Recruitment & Training is a leading dental recruitment agency and training provider with over 25 years of experience in the industry. We are proud to offer a range of high-quality apprenticeships, post-registration qualifications, CPD and recruitment services for aspiring dental professionals across the UK.