The Training Initiative Group Ltd

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

p.1

Type of provider: Independent learning provider

p.1

Address:

12 Victoria Road Crossley Road Tamworth B79 7HL Monitoring visit: The Training Initiative Group Limited, 5 and 6 May 2022

p.1

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.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

The Training Initiative Group Limited (The Training Initiative) is an independent training provider based in Tamworth. Established in 2017, the provider currently offers a range of commercial training and has held a contract to provide apprenticeships since April 2020. At the time of the visit, 39 apprentices were in learning. All apprentices were following standards, of which 14 were studying team leader/supervisor at level 3, five were studying assessor coach at level 3, and five studying business administration at level 3. The remaining apprentices were studying on standards for customer service, operational or departmental manager, personal trainer and junior content producer.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed an apprenticeship curriculum which responds directly to employers’ needs, as well as where expertise allows, the wider local and regional needs of the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Local Enterprise Partnership.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders have ensured the principles and requirements of an apprenticeship are followed by the provider and the employers they work with. In particular, they have implemented improved monitoring of the completion of off-the-job-training, and as a result, they have made significant progress in supporting employers to provide apprentices with the time they need to complete their studies.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders have put in place a staffing infrastructure to support the teaching and development of the apprenticeship provision. They have recently appointed a new Director of Education, Quality Manager, and skilled full-time tutors. As a result, apprentices now benefit from improved support. Those who were behind with their Monitoring visit: The Training Initiative Group Limited, 5 and 6 May 2022 learning have responded well and are starting to catch up, making more rapid progress towards the achievement of their apprenticeship.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders have responded to concerns regarding the quality of the apprenticeship provision. Following a detailed review of quality by the Director of Education, leaders recognise the main areas for improvement needed and are putting in place strategies to achieve these. Although in the early stages of implementation, these strategies are already starting to have a beneficial impact on apprentices’ progress.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders recognise the need to ensure that tutors have ongoing development of their teaching skills but acknowledge they have not yet implemented a plan of development for recently appointed staff.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders have identified the need for external scrutiny to challenge the senior leadership and support improvements to the apprenticeship provision. Leaders have started the recruitment process for the external board; however, it is not anticipated that this will be in place until August 2022.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours, which make them more effective in their job roles. Apprentices following assessor coach programmes, working in a gym, apply theory well into practice by coaching their clients in logical steps. For example, they demonstrate a kick-boxing move such as punching; first by punching in the air, then progressing to making contact by punching to a pad, before adding the moves together to make a combination.

p.3

Reasonable progress

The significant majority of tutors use their vocational experience well to provide apprentices with helpful online teaching and coaching sessions that help to deepen apprentices’ knowledge. They use assessment well to check that apprentices have understood key concepts. As a result, apprentices know more and remember more over time. However, in a few cases, tutors rely too heavily on apprentices completing independent study. As a result, these apprentices make slower progress than their peers.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Tutors now review apprentices’ progress frequently. Where apprentices fall behind with their studies, they are supported well to catch up. Tutors have a detailed plan in place to support apprentices to get back on track with their studies. As a result, apprentices are now making the progress expected of them, and the significant majority are on track to achieve within the planned time.

p.3

Reasonable progress

A high proportion of apprentices complete a skill scan at the start of the programme against the knowledge, skills, and behaviours for their apprenticeship standard. Monitoring visit: The Training Initiative Group Limited, 5 and 6 May 2022 However, tutors do not always use this information well enough to plan learning to meet apprentices’ identified skills development needs. As a result, tutors are not able to measure accurately the progress that apprentices make from their starting points.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Tutors do not routinely provide apprentices with unbiased careers advice and guidance. Apprentices are aware of the progression opportunities within their employer’s business; however, they are not sufficiently aware of the wider career opportunities available to them.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders do not ensure that tutors systematically develop all apprentices’ English and mathematical skills. In a few cases, apprentices achieve their functional skills too late in the programme and consequently, a significant minority of apprentices are delayed in progressing to their end-point assessment.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders have in place and implement appropriate polices for safeguarding. In the very small minority of referrals that have been made to date, leaders have provided appropriate support and have kept suitable records.

p.4

Reasonable progress

The Designated Safeguarding Lead has an appropriate understanding of the risks to apprentices in the local area, where the majority of the provider’s apprentices reside. However, they do not yet have a clear strategy to expand this understanding to wider areas as the provision grows.

p.4

Reasonable progress

The provider has an appropriate safer recruitment process, that ensures all staff have the appropriate employment checks to ensure they are safe to work with young people.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Apprentices demonstrate a general awareness of radicalisation and extremist behaviour. They know who they need to speak to if they have a concern and state that they feel safe.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Apprentices understand safe working practices in their working environments, for example, personal trainer apprentices working in gyms, understand how to keep themselves and their clients safe when training, and travelling to competitions. Monitoring visit: The Training Initiative Group Limited, 5 and 6 May 2022 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.

p.4

Reasonable progress

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.5

Reasonable progress

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Reasonable progress

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

Reasonable progress

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

p.5