UK workforce solutions company mthree has acquired cybersecurity education provider CAPSLOCK, bringing the specialist reskilling business fully into the mthree group following an existing joint venture between the two organisations, as reported by Security Brief.

The acquisition expands mthree's capability in cybersecurity, AI and digital resilience workforce development at a time of growing demand from clients in finance, technology and the public sector. The latest UK government Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that 43% of businesses reported a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months, while separate research showed that 65% of cybersecurity businesses expect their need for AI skills to increase over the next year.

Founded in 2019, CAPSLOCK focuses on retraining adults for cybersecurity roles and says it has reskilled more than 1,200 adults into cyber careers across financial services, telecommunications, aerospace and defence, consumer electronics, manufacturing and media. Learners have gone on to roles at employers including Barclays, BT, BAE Systems, Dyson and the BBC.

The combined business is expected to integrate CAPSLOCK's training model across mthree's upskilling, hire-train-deploy and expert staffing programmes, helping employers build cyber and AI capability through both new entrant pipelines and the reskilling of existing staff.

Alex Headley, Chief Executive Officer of mthree, said the acquisition reflects structural constraints in the specialist labour market. "Cybersecurity and AI are now workforce issues as much as they are technology issues. Employers in tech, banking and the public sector cannot rely only on hiring experienced specialists from a limited pool, particularly when the skills they need are changing so quickly," he said. "CAPSLOCK brings deep cyber expertise, a proven training model and a clear focus on job outcomes."

Lorna Armitage MBE, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of CAPSLOCK, said the deal extends the company's founding mission. "CAPSLOCK was founded to remove barriers to cybersecurity careers and help employers access talent with the skills to make an impact. Joining mthree gives us the platform to take that mission further," she said.

Dr Andrea Cullen MBE, Co-Founder of CAPSLOCK, said the focus remains on employment outcomes. "Becoming part of mthree allows us to build on that work and help more employers develop the cyber capability they need, whether through new talent pipelines or reskilling existing teams," she said.

Access the full coverage of the mthree and CAPSLOCK acquisition in the original report.