A post-16 training provider with centres in Suffolk, Essex and Yorkshire has fallen into administration with the loss of 80 jobs.

LifeSkills Solutions Limited - a social enterprise based in Rotherham, Lowestoft and Basildon - was involved in an ongoing dispute with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

ESFA - which is sponsored by the Department for Education - is accountable for £65bn of funding for the education and training sector.

Kris Wigfield and Joanne Hammond of Begbies Traynor have been appointed as joint administrators from Saturday, October 15.

LifeSkills Solutions was launched in 2002 in Bethnal Green. Training centres were subsequently set up in Basildon, Lowestoft and Rotherham providing post-16 education and training programmes.

Its aim is to equip learners with the skills they needed to secure the jobs they wanted. It currently works with more than 470 students.

"Unfortunately, the company has suffered from an ongoing dispute with the ESFA/Department for Education which has affected funding and made the social enterprise unviable," said Begbies Traynor.

Over recent weeks, the business worked with Begbies Traynor and sister business Eddisons to market the business - but a buyer could not be found, it added.

Now all 80 have been made redundant and the business was due to cease trading from close of business on Friday, October 14.

A spokesperson for LifeSkills, said: “Over the last 20 years, LifeSkills has done some wonderful work and we are proud to have supported the learning of over 22,000 young people.

"While we have tried everything to save the company, this has not been possible and we are incredibly sad to be in this situation – we would like to thank our brilliant team for all of their hard work and for creating a truly wonderful company.”

Mr Wigfield, managing partner at Begbies Traynor, said: “While we have not managed to find a purchaser during the timeframe we were given, should anybody have a genuine interest in purchasing the business, please contact Richard Temple at Eddisons (0113 243 0101).

"Our immediate priority over the coming days will be to assist the students and employees as much as we possibly can.”