Staff at YH Training Services were given hours' notice firm was closing

The business has ceased trading and all their classes have been withdrawn.

For more than 30 years YH Training Services, which had its headquarters in Scarborough, provided various types of training in their branches in Scarborough, Doncaster, Hull and York.

It offered apprenticeships in subjects including accountancy, customer service, IT and hospitality.

A former staff member, who did not want to be named, told The Scarborough News that at around 3pm on Thursday September 9, staff members received an email to inform them they would be finishing work at 5pm that day, and getting paid until the day after.

The staff member said: “It’s devastating, we were like a family. We weren’t allowed to contact the learners, that’s what upset us the most.

"We spent all of Thursday night and Friday in tears, it was complete surprise."

Students were sent messages letting them know their courses would not be going ahead, but the staff member said not all learners could be contacted, leaving some with no information.

They added: “We had lots of people ready to sit exams, we had such a close relationship with our learners.”

The company was set up by Frank McMahon, who died in 2018, with just 30 apprentices and grew to encompass more than 1,200 learners.

The staff member said: “I feel sorry for Frank’s legacy which has been ruined. I didn’t expect it to come to this.”

Staff are now left with financial uncertainty.

A statement on YH Training Services website reads: “As our Learning Centres are now closed, learners should not travel to classes as these have been withdrawn.

“The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) who provide the funding for learning will be in touch with regards to the next steps and will provide guidance.

“It is extremely regretful that we have to announce our closure, however we would like to thank all our learners, employers and customers for the support over the years and wish you all the very best for the future.”

The Scarborough News tried to contact YH Training Services for comment but received no response.