Each year, Trident successfully organises work experience placements and programmes in the UK for home and international students, working with 130,000 students from 2,000 schools and 90,000 companies to help young people to improve their employability and enterprise skills, and develop as individuals.
  
Chair of trustees, the Lady Wall, explained the decision.  "Trident has operated with increasing success for over 35 years and has made a real difference to the lives of many young people.  The Trustees wanted to ensure that the good work being done is continued - and most importantly, expanded to reach many more young people and employers in the future.  Edexcel's involvement will ensure this."
  
Trident CEO, Paul Poulter, is clear that being an Edexcel company will enhance provision for the students, schools and businesses that they work with.  "All programmes currently arranged with schools and other clients will go ahead as planned.  We will be talking to all of our customers about enhanced services for 2007/8 very shortly.
   
"Trident could not find a better partner than Edexcel, who share our values and experiences.  We are confident that the expertise that Edexcel will bring in the areas of technology, accreditation and business will enhance the services that Trident provides.  They have also made the transition a smooth one for us and for all our customers.   The future now looks more exciting for Trident, young people and vocational learning in general."
   
Jerry Jarvis, Edexcel's Managing Director, added: "The ethos of both organisations is the same - to offer quality learning experiences and to give students real opportunities.  
   
"Students will be able to develop and gain an internationally recognised qualification through their involvement with Trident and Edexcel will enable more schools and students to engage with this in the future.  We are delighted they have joined us."
  
The two organisations have worked together in the past offering work experience programmes which result in BTEC awards.  Trident has gained DfES accreditation as a provider for e-learning credits on their basic skills programmes and has launched Enterprise programmes which support entrepreneurship in young learners.  They also provide consolidated services to LEAs, addressing work experience, basic skills for foundation students and Enterprise programmes.
   
Ends/..
   
Notes to Editors:
Edexcel, a Pearson company, is the UK's largest awarding body offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to more than 25,000 schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning here and in over 100 countries worldwide. We deliver 9.4 million exam scripts each year, with 3.8 million marked onscreen in 2006.  Our qualifications include GCSE, AS and A Level, GNVQ, NVQ and the BTEC suite of vocational qualifications from entry level to BTEC Higher National Diplomas and Foundation Degrees.