CodeClan, the training academy for the digital industries, has collapsed and ceased operations, delivering a severe blow to Scotland’s technology ambitions.

In a statement issued today, the offshoot of Codebase announced that all its staff have been made redundant after the appointment of Craig Morrison and Scott Milne of Quantuma Advisory Limited as joint provisional liquidators.

“It is with extremely heavy hearts that we announce that CodeClan has gone into liquidation and will cease all operations as of 4 August 2023,” said the company. 

“Sadly, that means all our staff have been made redundant and will no longer represent CodeClan. 

“CodeClan has ceased to trade with immediate effect. Creditors will be contacted in due course.”

Quantuma said the business had originally been “significantly impacted” by Covid as it derived significant income from placing people into employment.

It said: “In 2021 the Inverness office was closed and the business looked to have returned to some stability.

“Unfortunately, current market conditions have hit the turnover, with the business placement side of the business once again suffering.

“Attempts to replace this income have failed and ultimately, a lack of cash flow has resulted in the company being placed in liquidation and immediately ceasing to trade.

“All 57 employees have now been made redundant.”

As recently as the end of June it announced that it had partnered with New York-based Flatiron School, on which it was modelled, to deliver on-demand, self-paced digital courses as an alternative to full-time immersive courses in software development and data science.

It hoped to have 3,000 students a year re-skilled by the end of 2026, against current level of 300.

CodeClan launched in 2015 as the brainchild of ScotlandIS and Skills Development Scotland. Its first chair was Polly Purvis.

Former CEO Melinda Matthews said: “Codeclan has the most dedicated and skilled workforce. New employers will be thrilled to have you. It’s very sad that an amazing social enterprise has ended.”

Its last CEO Loral Quinn, a 2019 winner Richard Branson’s Startup of the Year, succeeded Ms Matthews only last November.

Comment: CodeClan deserves a financial re-boot