Vocation poised for talks with financiers

The board of troubled education and training group Vocation is preparing to meet the company's financiers amid fallout from a govt inquiry.

Troubled education and training group Vocation has suspended its shares from trading on the ASX as it prepares to meet its financial backers.

Its shares were placed in a trading halt on Monday, with Vocation saying it was carrying out financial reviews.

But on Wednesday Vocation requested a suspension, saying it was finalising the reviews and may make changes to arrangements with its financiers.

Board members are due to discuss the reviews with Vocation's financiers on Tuesday, January 27.

The company expects to update shareholders on its earnings guidance and financial arrangements the following day.

Vocation amended terms of its loan facility with its bank in December amid a review of the value of some of its assets.

Its shares plunged when it warned earlier that month that underlying earnings were expected to fall to between $25 million and $30 million for 2014/15 from $36.1 million last financial year.

The company has also flagged a first half underlying loss of $8 million when it reports in February.

Investors have been warned not to expect an interim dividend.

The company is currently searching for a new chief financial officer after Manvinder Grewal left on December 31.

His departure followed that of Vocation chairman, former federal education minister John Dawkins, in November.

The financial and executive turmoil was sparked by an inquiry in 2014 by the Victorian government into Vocation's services.

The inquiry found some students had been enrolled in inappropriate and low-quality courses, with Vocation being stripped of $20 million in government funding as a result.


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Source: AAP


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