Person Plc is acquiring US-based Certiport Inc. from Spire Capital Partners for 140m dollars. The acquisition will strengthen Pearsons professional testing business. Rapidly-expanding Certiport, which develops certification exams and practice tests of IT and digital literacy skills, recorded revenues of 48m dollars in 2011.

Training and development company Business Employment Services Training (BEST), based in Leeds, has been acquired by Reading based support services and construction company Interserve. BEST Managing Director Michelle Manson and Operations Director Andrea Cook will remain with the business following the acquisition. Adrian Ringrose is Chief Executive of Interserve.

NOTTS recruitment specialist Positive Outcomes is looking to fill 50 jobs after three years of significant growth and business success. Turnover has increased tenfold and staff numbers increased from 45 to 250 since 2009. The company is also looking to increase their office space by 2000 sq ft. Chris Longmate is Managing Director.

Publishing company Pearson continues to expect growth in sales and operating profits, despite markets not showing many signs of improvement. Sales increased by 11% at constant exchange rates to £1.16bn in the first three months of the year. Net debt increased during the first quarter by £206m to £705m, level with the first quarter of 2011.