UPDATE 2-Pearson agrees 99 mln stg offer for Melorio

* 225 pence a share offer a 31 pct premium to May 17 price

* Pearson says deal steps up expansion into training sector

* Pearson says undertakings to accept offer 49.9 pct

* Melorio FY EBITDA up 65 pct, sees 52 pct rise this year

* Pearson shares down 2.5 pct, in line with market

(Adds background on IDC sale, analyst comment, shares)

By Paul Hoskins and Georgina Prodhan

LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - Pearson (PSON.L) agreed to buy vocational training provider Melorio MLO.L for 99.3 million pounds ($142 million) in cash, the UK media group's first acquisition since its $2 billion Interactive Data stake sale.

Pearson, the world's top educational publisher which also owns the Financial Times newspaper and Penguin books, said it had agreed with Melorio's board to offer 225 pence a share for the company -- a 31 percent premium to the May 17 closing price.

Melorio, which specialises in vocational training for the information technology, construction and healthcare sectors in Britain, had said on Tuesday it had received a takeover approach and was in advanced discussions.

Pearson said on Wednesday the acquisition was a response to growing global demand for vocational training, with developed economies looking to maintain their competitive position and developing countries seeking to boost skills.

Melorio, advised by Cenkos on the deal, said its board believed the offer to be fair and reasonable while Pearson, advised by Lazard, said it had received undertakings to accept the offer from owners of about 49.9 percent of Melorio shares.

Pearson agreed earlier this month to sell its stake in IDC to private-equity firms Silver Lake and Warburg Pincus, and said it would use the proceeds to expand. [ID:nLDE6430HC]

"Though this purchase is not in emerging markets or educational technology, Pearson had previously stated its desire to expand in the Professional segment and we would expect significant long-term synergies with other parts of the group," UBS analyst Alastair Reid wrote in a note.

Pearson shares fell 2.5 percent to 969.5 pence by 1025 GMT, in line with the wider market.

In a separate statement, Melorio said its full-year revenue had risen 86 percent to 58.4 million pounds, while basic earnings per share grew 29 percent to 20 pence.

The group predicted that core profit (EBITDA) in the coming year would be 25.1 million pounds, up from 16.5 million in the year just ended and 10 million the year before. ($1=.6988 Pound) (Editing by Simon Jessop and Jon Loades-Carter)