Provek Limited

Name of lead inspector: Peter Cox, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Thatcham Business Village Colthrop Way Thatcham RG19 4LW Monitoring visit: Provek Limited, 19–20 July 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 the Education and Skills Funding Agency 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

Provek Limited (Provek) is an independent learning provider. The company provides training in project management. Provek also currently acts as a subcontractor of apprenticeship programmes, although these programmes were out of scope for this monitoring visit. At the time of the monitoring visit, Provek had approximately 300 standards-based apprentices studying associate project manager at level 4. As part of this programme, apprentices complete the Association for Project Management’s Project Management Qualification (PMQ).

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Context and focus of visit

During the pandemic, a number of apprentices were required to undergo a break in learning. At the time of the monitoring visit, 45 apprentices were still on this break. 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 have a clear vision to develop apprentices into confident and proficient project managers, able to support those sectors undergoing considerable change as a result of the pandemic. Leaders work closely with employers to design courses that meet their specific business needs well. For example, staff carefully developed the teaching of contracts and procurements to better meet employers’ needs. Leaders and managers have designed an ambitious curriculum so that most apprentices develop the knowledge and skills needed to rapidly become better project managers.

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Reasonable progress

Staff communicate effectively with employers to keep them well informed about apprentices’ progress. Employers are rightly enthusiastic about the positive impact that apprentices have on their businesses. Most apprentices quickly become skilful Monitoring visit: Provek Limited, 19–20 July 2021 project managers. Some apprentices have considerable responsibility for multimillion- pound projects as a result of their training.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure the programme satisfies the requirements of apprenticeships. Leaders ensure apprentices receive their high-quality, off-the-job training, which ensures most apprentices make good progress. Staff enrol apprentices with integrity. They ensure apprentices and employers understand the requirements for the final assessment.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders make sure that training staff are highly experienced and are well qualified. They provide useful and frequent training which helps staff become better teachers. For example, staff complete project management qualifications, which help them remain vocationally competent. Consequently, staff provide high-quality training which enables most apprentices to develop new and substantial skills quickly.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and members of the non-executive board have a reasonable understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their provision. They use this information appropriately to improve the quality of the programme. For example, leaders reordered assignments to better prepare apprentices for the PMQ. Subsequently, more apprentices achieve well in this part of their programme. Leaders do not use information about apprentices’ knowledge and skills development to fully review the effectiveness of the programme.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices speak highly of the impact of their training which is helping them to become better project managers. The vast majority of apprentices develop substantial, new knowledge and skills through their training. For example, apprentices use their knowledge of leadership styles carefully to resolve work-based conflicts within the team successfully. Apprentices become increasingly assertive, skilled at managing teams and improve in their job roles.

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Reasonable progress

Staff use their extensive experience to teach high-quality and effective training sessions that help most apprentices make good progress. Staff structure the curriculum in a sensible manner. For example, staff teach leadership style and ethics at the start of the course, as these are fundamental for successful project management. Staff use their detailed understanding of apprentices’ experience and job roles to tailor learning to apprentices’ needs. As such, most apprentices make rapid progress in their training.

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Reasonable progress

Staff help apprentices develop their literacy and numeracy skills well. However, staff do not make this aspect of their training relevant to apprentices’ job roles. Consequently, too few apprentices use this learning to help them get better at their jobs.

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Reasonable progress

Staff assess apprentices’ knowledge and understanding well. They provide very useful feedback to apprentices. Staff ensure that apprentices understand the progress they are Monitoring visit: Provek Limited, 19–20 July 2021 making and how to improve. As such, the vast majority of apprentices produce work of an appropriate standard.

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Reasonable progress

Staff do not monitor apprentices’ progress well. They focus on apprentices’ completion of work rather than apprentices’ development of knowledge, skills and behaviours. In the few instances where an apprentice falls behind, staff do not intervene effectively to catch them up quickly.

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Reasonable progress

Staff prepare apprentices for their final assessment well. They check that employers understand their roles within these assessments. Staff teach apprentices about the various additional qualifications they can move onto as a result of their studies.

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Reasonable progress

The well-qualified and experienced designated safeguarding lead (DSL) uses policies and processes effectively to help keep apprentices safe. The DSL records and monitors safeguarding incidents closely. Senior leaders review any safeguarding incidents frequently to check these are effectively resolved.

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Reasonable progress

The DSL ensures that staff are safe to work with apprentices. The DSL provides suitable and frequent safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training. Consequently, staff know how to identify and report a safeguarding concern. Staff have rightly prioritised supporting the mental health of apprentices. Specially trained staff act as mental health champions to help staff and apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe and know who to report concerns to. Staff check frequently on the well-being of apprentices so apprentices feel closely supported. Apprentices do not know enough about how to keep safe from potential threats specific to where they live and work. Monitoring visit: Provek Limited, 19–20 July 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 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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