Goodwin Engineering Training Company Limited

Goodwin Engineering Training Company Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Sharon Dowling, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: Goodwin House Leek Road Stoke-On-Trent ST1 3NR Monitoring visit: Goodwin Training Company Limited, 4–5 August 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

Goodwin Engineering Training Company Limited is a subsidiary of Goodwin PLC. The directors founded the company to deliver vocational training to address the shortfall in skills development in the engineering industry. The provider has held a contract for apprenticeships since September 2019. At the time of the visit, there were 41 apprentices on level 3 engineering apprenticeships, of which 18 were on standards- based apprenticeships. All apprentices are employed within Goodwin PLC and its subsidiary companies.

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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 are pro-active in working with other companies within the Goodwin group and the local university to raise the profile of apprenticeships in engineering. They work closely with neighbouring schools and academies to promote apprenticeships and support skills development, for example sponsoring literacy projects in local schools to support progression.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have designed and implemented a curriculum that meets the strategic needs of the business. In response to the anticipated gap in skills in the engineering sector, the provision develops apprentices’ skills in line with business needs and the interest of the individual apprentice. Most apprentices are retained in the business following completion of the apprenticeship.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have designed an apprenticeship that is coherently planned and sequenced towards the skills that are required for employment. A pprentices develop practical and Monitoring visit: Goodwin Training Company Limited, 4–5 August 2021 academic skills for up to a year in the training centre, prior to commencing work. As a result, apprentices quickly make a valuable contribution to the workplace when they start on site.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have ensured that there are sufficient resources in place, including suitably qualified staff, training workshops and access to highly specialist equipment which support the development of current industry skills. Apprentices gain skills that are relevant to both Goodwin PLC and the wider engineering sector. For example, apprentices are able to gain experience and progress to a range of roles within the business, including refractory engineering, sales and surveying.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have a clear understanding of the progress of apprentices. However, they have not yet fully formalised this process, with discussions and reporting happening verbally on an ad-hoc basis. Therefore, managers do not always identify or rectify issues as swiftly as they could to support apprentices to achieve their full potential.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have implemented a process of reporting to the parent company board. However, the board membership has no educational specialist. Consequently, the board is unable to provide suitable challenge and support to managers in areas such as learner achievement and the implementation of safeguarding legislation.

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Reasonable progress

Managers understand the starting points of apprentices. However, this does not always translate into a logically sequenced learning plan for individual apprentices that leads to a clearly identified end goal. Apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours. For example, apprentices are able to interpret mechanical drawings in two-dimensional and three-dimensional formats and use computer-aided design to complete technical drawings.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors plan teaching in a logical way. Apprentices are given frequent opportunities to revisit learning and develop fluency in their skills. For example, when making a washer, apprentices repeatedly complete this activity, improving accuracy and timings.

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Reasonable progress

Lecturers and assessors use assessment effectively to check that apprentices are making progress. Where apprentices are not meeting the required standard, assessors revisit these tasks to address gaps in apprentices’ knowledge and skills. As a result, apprentices reach the high standards needed for the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Where apprentices are placed into job roles where their assessors are also their workplace mentors, there is a clear link between on- and off-the-job learning. However, not all workplace mentors have a clear understanding of the skills Monitoring visit: Goodwin Training Company Limited, 4–5 August 2021 development that apprentices require. As a result, these apprentices do not progress as quickly as their peers.

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Reasonable progress

The training team have high expectations of apprentices. However, they do not routinely challenge apprentices to achieve higher grades on academic courses. As a result, almost all apprentices do not reach their full potential in their academic studies.

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Reasonable progress

Lecturers support apprentices to further develop their English and mathematics skills. For example, lecturers provide additional teaching to help apprentices develop mathematical problem-solving skills needed for engineering. However, lecturers do not fully identify the specific gaps in knowledge of individual apprentices at the start of the apprenticeship. Consequently, some apprentices do not have the skills to complete their assessment quickly enough.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and trainers develop apprentices’ understanding and awareness of health and safety. As a result, apprentices develop a good understanding of safe working practice and its importance within their job role.

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Reasonable progress

The training team monitor apprentices closely, putting in place actions to support apprentices, for example where they have had a bereavement or changes in circumstances at home. However, at the time of the visit, leaders had not yet implemented a ‘Prevent’ duty policy, risk assessment or action plan.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices receive training on safeguarding during induction, including local risks. However, this is not routinely revisited and apprentices who have been on a programme for a long period of time have a limited recollection of the safeguarding risks.

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Reasonable progress

The provider has an appropriate recruitment policy and applies the principles of safer recruitment during the appointment of staff. However, managers do not readily have access to key documentation, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Monitoring visit: Goodwin Training Company Limited, 4–5 August 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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