Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited Independent learning provider

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good Adult learning programmes Requires improvement Apprenticeships Outstanding Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings

 Senior leaders and managers have a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. They use this understanding effectively to make improvements to the apprenticeship programme.  Apprentices participate in highly effective training that goes beyond the minimum requirements for the qualification.  Apprentices successfully develop the high-level skills that they need to work for a global vehicle manufacturer, including on the vehicle production line, in engineering maintenance, and in business administration.  Almost all apprentices complete their qualifications within the expected timescales, and gain sustainable employment and advancement in their careers with Nissan.  Apprentices and most learners participate enthusiastically in learning. They improve their confidence quickly and are able to tackle increasingly complex learning tasks and work activities.  Tutors, assessors and supervisors are very well

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Summary of key findings

qualified in automotive manufacturing techniques, and they use their experience well to ensure that industry-level standards are reflected in their interactions with apprentices.  The progress of a significant minority of adult learners is not rapid enough, and too many adult learners do not achieve their qualifications.  Adult learners do not improve their English and mathematical skills well enough.  The attendance of adult learners on key elements of their courses is too low, and leaders and managers have not acted rapidly enough to improve this.  Too many apprentices and learners do not have a good enough understanding of how the risks from extremist groups and possible radicalisation relate to their everyday lives.

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Information about the provider

 Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited (Nissan) operates the country’s largest car production plant. Based close to the city of Sunderland, it was awarded its own apprenticeship contract in 2015. The contract enables Nissan to ensure that industry- based learning is focused on its own training needs and that of the local community and region.  Nissan has a strong history of training apprentices since the Sunderland plant opened in 1986. It employs just over 7,000 staff at the plant. Since gaining its own apprenticeship contract, it has enrolled almost 1,500 apprentices in engineering manufacture, maintenance engineering, improving operational performance, business administration, management and leadership, and information technology software, web and telecoms. Nissan also provides adult learning courses that provide opportunities for local residents to enhance the skills that they need for employment. Nissan delivers all its provision

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that adult learners make rapid progress and that a much higher proportion achieve their qualifications by: – improving the contract management of adult learning programmes delivered by N A College – taking action to improve the attendance of adult learners on all elements of their programme – ensuring that tutors make good use of information about adult learners’ starting points to plan and provide learning activities that meet learners’ specific needs – improving the quality of feedback that adult learners receive so that it is more effective in helping them to improve their skills, knowledge and understanding – improving the quality of English and mathematics provision for adult learners.  Ensure that tutors, assessors and supervisors effectively support apprentices and learners to improve their awareness of radicalisation and threats from extremist groups.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Nissan’s senior executives, leaders and managers have a well-articulated vision of the positive contribution that training and education make to the development of their workforce in a highly competitive, global market for the automotive industry. They have been decisive in taking control over the direction, purpose and quality of the apprenticeships that they provide. The curriculum is highly responsive to the business needs of one of the largest car manufacturers in Europe.  Leaders have established an ambitious strategy, which aligns well with the ethos of the parent company in Japan. They focus well on developing the skills that their staff need to maintain the high standards of vehicle manufacture at the plant. They have put in place high-quality learning resources at the Nissan plant and at subcontractors that enable apprentices and learners to gain valuable manufacturing and engineering skills.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Managers oversee the performance of the great majority of the subcontracted provision very effectively. As a result, subcontractors deliver high-quality programmes. However, the contract management of the very recently introduced adult learning programme delivered by N A College is not as rigorous as that for the well-established programmes for apprentices. Managers have not acted quickly enough to address issues of poor attendance and the low achievement rates, particularly on functional skills courses.  Leaders and managers use a well-planned cycle of contract review meetings to analyse accurate and timely data and to improve quality. They are very diligent in monitoring the progress of individual apprentices and instigating actions to get them back on track. Consequently, most apprentices complete their programmes and a very high proportion do so within their planned timescales.  Leaders and managers adopt an ethos of continuous improvement for their training

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

provision that is closely aligned to the approach to improving vehicle manufacturing that is used throughout the assembly plant. A continuous cycle of performance reviews with subcontractors and Nissan staff informs an accurate and evaluative self-assessment process. Managers use feedback from learners and plant supervisors well to inform their evaluation. The great majority of quality improvement actions are implemented swiftly. However, not enough progress has been made to tackle a number of weaknesses in adult learning, such as the slow progress that too many adult learners make.  Leaders and managers have introduced effectively a new curriculum for adult learners to develop their employability and vocational skills, and prepare them for employment in the automotive manufacturing industry. As a result, a high number of the adult learners who complete their courses successfully are recruited to work on the production line and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

across other areas of the manufacturing plant.  Leaders and managers ensure that apprentices and learners have a good understanding of their employment prospects at Nissan on completion of their programmes, including opportunities for promotion and to take on additional responsibilities. Almost all apprentices remain in employment with Nissan on completion of their programme.  Leaders and managers successfully promote equality, diversity and British values to apprentices and learners. Apprentices and learners are highly committed to the Nissan code of conduct in which aspects such as equality, tolerance and respect are implicit throughout. All staff at Nissan and at subcontractors have the confidence to discuss and raise these topics with apprentices and learners as part of their everyday activities at work and during training sessions and reviews of progress.

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The governance of the provider

 Senior executives across the company hold training group managers to account effectively for the contribution that their programmes make to increasing the productivity and competitiveness of the workforce. They understand the provision well and have high expectations of their managers and apprentices.  The recently established training steering group, intended to provide advice and support to leaders and managers, is not yet fulfilling its function effectively due to a lack of sufficient representation from external partners.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Managers closely assess the robustness of subcontractors’ safeguarding policies and procedures. They sample subcontractors’ records effectively to ensure that staff have undertaken the relevant checks and that they have completed appropriate training in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty.  Safeguarding is a standard agenda item at all contract review meetings, where any concerns and incidents are addressed swiftly and analysed for trends. Managers work well with workplace supervisors to target support to promote apprentices’ and learners’ health and well-being.  Managers are extremely diligent in following up apprentices who do not attend courses. They contact workplace supervisors to ensure that apprentices receive support if there are any welfare issues, or to instigate disciplinary procedures if there are no good reasons for their absence.  Apprentices and learners are safe and feel safe in their workplace and while attending

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Safeguarding

their training sessions or employment setting. They know whom to report to when they are concerned for their safety or have any safeguarding concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders and managers, and staff at subcontractors, have high expectations of what apprentices can achieve. Apprentices develop and gain good practical and technical skills because their tutors, trainers and assessors, including those who work on the subcontracted provision at New College Durham, Gateshead College and N A College, use effective strategies to meet their needs. Apprentices develop good subject-specific knowledge, skills and understanding alongside valuable personal skills, such as self- confidence and working as part of a team, that prepare them well for the world of work. Apprentices and learners are proud of their work and talk with confidence about what they have learned.  Supervisors, tutors and assessors provide very good support and guidance to apprentices and learners throughout their studies. Off-the-job training for apprentices is well planned and delivered. Tutors and assessors make use of a good range of teaching and learning

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

activities and assessment techniques to develop and inspire apprentices to make good or better progress.  Assessment is rigorous, fair and accurate. It is well planned to ensure that the relevant training links to assessment opportunities while apprentices are working on the plant. Assessors communicate well with plant supervisors to ensure that apprentices are not disadvantaged or miss assessments. Supervisors work well with each other to move apprentices to different parts of the plant so that apprentices can gain the experience that they need to make rapid progress towards achieving their qualifications.  Tutors and assessors use their extensive industrial expertise and experience well to develop apprentices’ and learners’ practical and work-readiness skills. Apprentices develop very good practical skills in lessons and on-the job training . For example, maintenance apprentices learn to recognise and resolve faults in production line equipment, such as

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

conveyor systems and assembly tooling, so that vehicle production down-time is minimised.  Resources support learning particularly well. Workshop resources at the Nissan site are excellent. Subcontractors’ workshops and teaching and training facilities are of a high standard and used well by tutors, apprentices and learners.  Staff, including at subcontractors, carry out a good range of activities at the start of apprentices’ programmes, to determine their English and mathematical skills and their technical understanding. This ensures that apprentices are placed on the correct programme and at the appropriate level. However, tutors do not use the starting points and information about the previous learning of adult learners sufficiently well to provide learning activities that enable learners to achieve their potential.  Apprentices are highly involved in planning their programmes in consultation with their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

plant supervisors, tutors and assessors. This ensures that they develop the most appropriate skills. For example, apprentices aspiring to progress to a level 3 qualification in business administration complete units in team leading, minute-taking and organising meetings. Engineering apprentices routinely complete a five-year programme, which includes technical qualifications at levels 4 and 5.  Targets set for and with apprentices as part of their progress reviews are mostly challenging and effective in ensuring that apprentices develop their skills quickly. Apprentices benefit from effective, supportive and developmental feedback. In many cases, apprentices improve their work after assessment feedback. However, feedback for adult learners is not sufficiently developmental to help them to improve their skills, knowledge and understanding.  Teachers and assessors on the apprenticeship programme are highly qualified and have

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

very good vocational and technical knowledge and industrial experience. They skilfully link theory to practice. They use questioning techniques effectively to probe, check and further extend apprentices’ understanding of often complex systems.  Adult learning programmes are well planned to meet the needs of the local community and the future employment requirements of a large vehicle manufacturing plant. For example, learners gain a good insight into the vehicle manufacturing process and lean engineering, with a focus on continuous improvement techniques.  The large majority of apprentices improve their mathematical skills well as part of their training with Nissan. For example, apprentices in business calculate accurately equipment and production effectiveness to enable them to balance a production line for efficiency.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Most apprentices and the majority of adult learners are highly motivated and take pride in their work. They demonstrate very high standards in their workplace activities and adopt a positive attitude to their studies and work tasks. Apprentices and adult learners wear their Nissan uniforms with pride, and are proud of the training that they receive and the work that they produce. They see themselves an integral part of ‘team Nissan’.  Apprentices produce a very high standard of work, often above the level of their qualification aims. They contribute extremely well to their own development, actively seeking out additional qualifications. All apprentices take part in tasks and activities that extend their vocational, technical, English, mathematical and personal skills exceptionally well.  Apprentices’ attendance and punctuality are exemplary. Apprentices very quickly become valued members of work teams. Supervisors and team leaders value highly and benefit

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

from the activities of apprentices as part of their teams.  Apprentices and learners know how to keep themselves safe and adhere exceptionally well to health and safety requirements while working on the manufacturing plant. They gain a deep understanding of the types of behaviours and respect expected because of their understanding of the Nissan code of conduct. Consequently, they demonstrate British values well while at work, in their training sessions and in their daily lives. However, too many apprentices and learners have insufficient awareness about the threats from radicalisation or extremism.  Apprentices benefit from gaining additional qualifications funded by Nissan as part of their programme. For example, all engineering apprentices complete and achieve higher level technical qualifications. Business administration apprentices complete foundation degrees and progress to degree-level courses. Apprentices and learners participate well in

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

community projects and team-building events. This often increases their personal and social skills and enables them to contribute more effectively to work activities.  A high proportion of apprentices who need to improve their English, mathematical and digital skills do so well by completing and achieving relevant qualifications.  Apprentices and learners benefit from highly effective careers advice and guidance that has a strong focus on career opportunities at Nissan and with partner organisations that are part of Nissan’s automotive supply chain. Apprentices who achieve their qualification gain sustainable employment with Nissan. A high proportion gain promotions or job roles with extra responsibilities. Supervisors and Nissan’s training team are highly effective in identifying those apprentices with potential for team leading as a result of their focus on team-building sessions, engineering challenges and projects.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Attendance on adult learning programmes is too low, particularly on English courses and on programmes that prepare learners for working in the engineering manufacturing industry.  Adult learners make insufficient progress in developing their English and mathematical skills. Too few adult learners achieve the English and mathematics qualifications that they need to access an apprenticeship or suitable employment.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 Apprentices make excellent progress from their initial starting points and almost all achieve their qualifications, most within the planned timescales. They manage their own learning effectively and quickly develop the skills and technical knowledge required to work in a busy vehicle manufacturing plant.  Apprentices and most learners participate enthusiastically in learning. As their confidence improves, they tackle increasingly complex learning tasks and work activities.  Apprentices acquire relevant qualifications for their job role, which benefits Nissan and gives them the opportunities to progress in their chosen career. Almost all apprentices acquire additional high-level qualifications as part of their apprenticeship, often beyond the apprenticeship requirements.  Apprentices take up opportunities to enhance their learning while at work. They make good progress with their understanding of complex vehicle manufacturing or engineering

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Outcomes for learners Good

techniques. They demonstrate high ambition for their advancement to team leader or supervisor roles. They work well and independently on complex manufacturing engineering equipment, detailed information technology systems and business improvement techniques.  Data provided by leaders indicates that there are no significant differences in the progress and achievement of different groups of apprentices or learners.  Not enough adult learners stay on their courses and achieve their qualifications, particularly unemployed adult learners at N A College. The progress of a significant minority of adult learners is too slow.

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Adult learning programmes Requires improvement

 At the time of the inspection, Nissan had 182 learners on adult learning programmes. In the current year adult learners have taken 1500 qualifications. Learners include both unemployed adults seeking work at the plant and current employees.  Too many learners make progress that is too slow, and too few achieve their qualifications. Tutors do not routinely use the information gathered about learners’ starting points to plan and provide effective learning. They do not use targets well enough to ensure that individual learners know what they need to do to make the progress of which they are capable and reach their potential. Feedback on how adult learners can improve their work is not consistently helpful.  Tutors do not ensure that learners improve their English and mathematical skills rapidly enough. The proportion of adult learners who achieve their English qualifications is too low. On a minority of courses, managers do not allocate sufficient time to enable learners

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Adult learning programmes Requires improvement

to make the progress expected of them or improve their skills in English and mathematics.  Attendance on English courses and on programmes to develop employability skills and prepare learners for working in the engineering manufacturing industry varies significantly and is often too low. Learners attend very well on the performing manufacturing operations and lean manufacturing elements of their course. Attendance of adult learners who are already employed by Nissan is very high.  Leaders and managers have a clear strategy to provide courses that prepare unemployed adults for work in their vehicle manufacturing plant. They also develop the skills of their current workforce in preparation for an apprenticeship in engineering maintenance or management and leadership.  Learners benefit from relevant programmes that meet the requirements and specifications of the automotive manufacturing industry. They have good opportunities to gain

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Adult learning programmes Requires improvement

qualifications that enable those who complete their courses successfully to progress into employment with Nissan or further training elsewhere.  The large majority of learners benefit from valuable work experience in a range of Nissan factory settings. This helps them to understand the expectations of the business and prepares them effectively for employment in a global manufacturing environment.  Tutors use their extensive manufacturing experience well to prepare learners well for any future employment with Nissan or alternative employers.  Learners gain a very good understanding of the rigorous health and safety requirements of working in a large and complex manufacturing plant.

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Apprenticeships Outstanding

 As part of their commitment to staff development and their continuous improvement strategy, Nissan provides apprenticeships in a wide range of subject areas, including engineering, automotive manufacturing, information and communication technology, business administration, management and leadership, and web design. At the time of the inspection, Nissan had 513 apprentices in learning.  Apprenticeships are very well managed and, in most cases, exceed the national requirements of an apprenticeship. Leaders and managers set very high expectations and aspirations for apprentices. This is reflected in the very high proportion who achieve within their planned timescales. All apprentices gain sustained employment on completion of their programme. The culture at Nissan aspires to very high standards and these high standards are an integral part of the apprenticeship provision.  Leaders, managers, team leaders and supervisors routinely promote an extremely positive

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Apprenticeships Outstanding

attitude towards training and development. Workplace supervisors provide highly effective support that ensures that most apprentices make rapid and outstanding progress. Supervisors provide a very good range of interesting and complex work activities that ensure apprentices gain high-level engineering or manufacturing skills.  Apprentices enjoy and are highly committed to their learning; they are proud of their work. Those apprentices who perform particularly well are acknowledged through Nissan’s recognition and reward scheme. For example, a group of apprentices who attained their foundation degree were rewarded with a half-day visit to the ‘test-track’ facility to test out a range of new vehicles.  Assessors demonstrate very good subject knowledge and skills that relate directly to apprentices’ workplace. They quickly identify learning opportunities at work and link these effectively to apprentices’ everyday activities and job roles. Assessors communicate

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Apprenticeships Outstanding

closely with supervisors to ensure that apprentices carry out suitable training while at work. For example, engineering maintenance apprentices carry out complex fault-finding activities on manufacturing machinery and complete a written assessment of the task.  Apprentices receive very good on- and off-the-job training to develop their technical and vocational skills further, and they quickly apply these skills in the workplace. Tutors use information about apprentices’ starting points well to plan and provide challenging learning to meet their individual requirements. Consequently, apprentices improve their technical skills quickly and contribute effectively to the business.  Leaders and managers, including at subcontractors, ensure that apprentices develop an exceptional understanding of safe working practices. Assessors and supervisors strongly promote the use of personal protective equipment. Apprentices adopt the Nissan

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Apprenticeships Outstanding

approach of a safety-first attitude to their work. Almost all apprentices gain a wide range of safety-focused training, such working at heights, use of cranes and working in confined spaces. As a result, apprentices quickly demonstrate an excellent understanding of the professional standards expected of them and demonstrate these at all times.  Assessors are diligent in ensuring that the assessment of apprentices’ work is fair, accurate and carried out to meet qualification requirements. Assessors use a wide range of assessment strategies and provide very helpful feedback that helps apprentices produce work to a very high standard. Apprentices very quickly gain an outstanding understanding of automotive manufacturing processes and the back-office activities of a major global vehicle manufacturer.

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Provider details

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year 1,518

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Main course or learning programme level Level 1 or below Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 or above Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships) 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

0 43 0 139 0 0 0 -0 Number of apprentices by apprenticeship level and age Intermediate Advanced Higher

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 5 34 14 374 29 57 Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total 0 0 0 Number of learners aged 14 to

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Number of learners for which the provider receives high- needs funding At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors: New College Durham Gateshead College N A College

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the human resources controller, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans. Inspectors used group and individual interviews and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Steve Hunsley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian Frear Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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