Professional Development and Training Ltd

Professional Development and Training Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Sambit Sen, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Milnyard Business Centre 1 Milnyard Square Orton Southgate Peterborough PE2 6GX Monitoring visit: Professional Development and Training Ltd, 19–20 April 2021

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Context and focus of visit

From October 2018, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision which began to be funded from April 2017 or after by ESFA and/or the apprenticeship levy. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the Further education and skills inspection handbook, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Professional Development and Training Ltd (PDT) is an independent learning provider offering engineering and business-related apprenticeships across England. At the time of the monitoring visit, 86 apprentices were in active learning. PDT offers a range of apprenticeship qualifications from level 2 to level 5. Apprenticeship qualifications offered include level 2 customer service practitioner, level 3 engineering technician, level 4 associate project manager and level 5 operations departmental manager.

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Context and focus of visit

During the national pandemic, leaders and managers switched learning from entirely face to face to a mixed model of online and face-to-face training.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgements below.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers do not have an effective oversight of the progress that apprentices make. For example, they have not identified that those apprentices on customer service programmes who have been on furlough are behind in their training. Leaders and managers have been slow to put effective support in place for these apprentices to catch up on their lost learning. As a result, a small proportion of these apprentices will not achieve their qualification in a timely manner.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers effectively check on the quality of teaching and learning that the apprentices receive. They gather regular feedback from apprentices about their learning experience and act upon it promptly to bring about improvement. However, they do not support their tutors and assessors with relevant and focused continuous professional development to help improve their teaching skills. Monitoring visit: Professional Development and Training Ltd, 19–20 April 2021 Leaders and managers work effectively with employers to develop training programmes which are bespoke to the needs of employers’ businesses. For example, engineering apprentices learn about the core principles of electronic circuits boards in their practical induction. This helps them to quickly gain confidence and familiarity with operating equipment at their place of work.

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Reasonable progress

Managers do not ensure that tutors effectively communicate the details of the apprentices’ end of course examination to employers and apprentices. As a result, apprentices are unsure of what they need to do to achieve high grades in their end of course assessment. Managers ensure that apprentices receive good-quality workplace training from their employers.

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Reasonable progress

Governors provide effective support and challenge to leaders and managers. They have a good oversight of the quality of training that apprentices receive.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and assessors do not pay enough attention to the ongoing skills development of apprentices. Tutors focus overly on the course content that apprentices must complete to pass their qualification, rather than the skills that apprentices need to develop in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Managers do not ensure that tutors effectively and systematically establish apprentices’ starting points at the beginning of their programme. They do not identify those apprentices who require extra help to complete their learning in the time planned.

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Reasonable progress

Employers value the skills and knowledge apprentices develop and their improved professional behaviour in providing good customer service. Apprenticeship programmes have a strong focus on placing the customer at the centre of the product or service the apprentice is trained to provide. For example, business administrator apprentices learn how to skilfully set up and manage webinars for external clients. They can manage budgets efficiently by processing and keeping accurate records of invoicing and departmental expenditure. This helps to meet the internal needs of departments they serve.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and assessors provide detailed feedback to apprentices on the quality of their written and practical work. They highlight what apprentices have done well and what they need to do to further improve. This helps apprentices to consolidate their learning effectively. Monitoring visit: Professional Development and Training Ltd, 19–20 April 2021 Tutors and assessors do not provide effective careers advice and guidance. They do not discuss the different career choices apprentices have beyond their current roles. As a result, apprentices are not aware of different career options available to them or what they could do to achieve their career ambitions.

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Reasonable progress

The safeguarding team effectively communicates to apprentices the information they receive from partner agencies about the local threats that may impact on apprentices’ lives and well-being. As a result, apprentices have a sound understanding of potential threats and know what actions they should take to remain safe at work and in their communities.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices can apply safe working practices in their workplace. For example, engineering apprentices can effectively complete ‘locking off’ of an electrical power base for routine maintenance work and use tagging to prevent other employees attempting to restart the power while maintenance work was in progress.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices have a good understanding of the rights and responsibilities of employees and how employers should act fairly in their business practices. For example, management apprentices understand that if a business fails to comply with equality legislation, it will potentially face legal penalties, reputational loss and lose customers as a result. Monitoring visit: Professional Development and Training Ltd, 19–20 April 2021 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council

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Reasonable progress

children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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