London, UK –  PSI, a global provider of assessment services, has just opened a Skills for English test centre in Libya. 

The first new active test centre in the country to be approved by the Home Office for delivery of Secure English Language Tests (SELT) in years, it will be instrumental in supporting the UK’s commitment to develop closer cooperation with Libya, especially in the areas of business and international education.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of the news of re-opening of the British embassy in Tripoli by Her Majesty’s Ambassador (HMA) to Libya, Caroline Hurndall.

“The opening of the test centre in Libya marks another step towards providing greater access for Libyans to work or study opportunities in the UK. We commend PSI and its partners for their commitment to opening up this valuable new channel.”, HMA said.

Libyans wishing to work or study in the UK have limited access to SELT provisions so far, and the new Skills for English test centre, Al-Bareeq Center for Training and Development, enables many of them finally to move on with their plans.

PSI worked closely with Department for International Trade (DIT) and Atava, a London-based educational consultancy offering advisory services to international students, to ensure the Home Office-approved Skills for English test centre was opened in record time.

Atava Education & Training specialises in the Libyan market and for over a decade lobbied for SELT provisions in Libya. Atava has played a central role in the introduction of test providers to reliable partners in Libya and is delighted that PSI have embraced this exciting opportunity.

“At Atava we strive to make education more accessible for our international students. Working with Libyan candidates and stakeholders for over ten years, we identified the urgent need for a SELT testing centre to increase accessibility to the necessary English language tests needed for study and work purposes. This new centre will negate the need for Libyans to travel to third countries for testing, and considerably ease the process required for visa applications. Removing these burdens, this centre reduces the time, the cost, and offers convenience to candidates, which can only serve to have a positive impact on the lives of all Libyans who wish to access international education.

We would like to thank the DIT, the British Embassy – Libya, the National Oil Corporation, the Ministry of Higher Education and others for their support in this exciting development.”, said Angela Taylor, founder and owner of Atava.

Test takers in Libya can now book their Skills for English in Tripoli at www.bookmyskillsforenglish.com

The first Skills for English test session is scheduled for 25th July 2022, with sessions available weekly thereafter.

For more information about Skills for English for UKVI purposes, go to www.skillsforenglish.com or email [email protected]