Siemens Mobility Limited

Siemens Mobility Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Russ Henry, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: NTAR Unit 5 Heathfield Way Northampton NN5 7QP Monitoring visit: Siemens Mobility Limited, 3 and 4 August 2022

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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

Siemens Mobility Limited (SMO) provides training as part of a collaboration with the National Skills Academy for Rail, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Transport. It provides training in traction, rolling stock, electrification, telecommunications and signalling for the railway industry. It provides apprenticeship training for a number of rail engineering businesses. At the time of the visit, it had 224 apprentices, 194 of whom were studying for the level 3 rail engineering technician standard. Other apprentices were studying rail engineering apprenticeships at levels 2 and 4. Most apprentices were under 23 years of age and were new entrants to the rail industry.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers ensure that the requirements of apprenticeship programmes are met in full. Apprentices are new entrants to the rail industry, and most have recently left school or college. They require a substantial programme of training, which is provided through extensive classroom-based study supported by on-the-job learning. Apprentices attend classes at several partner colleges to develop their core knowledge, and they participate in specialist lessons at the National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR) in Northampton.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that training courses are very well resourced. The facilities at NTAR are of an exceptionally high standard. Trainers and assessors have extensive experience of rail engineering that they use well to bring subjects to life and relate topics to the real-world challenges that apprentices will face.

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Reasonable progress

Staff ensure that they match apprentices to courses that relate well to their needs and prior learning. However, although they conduct a series of assessments to check apprentices’ existing skills and knowledge in English, mathematics and rail engineering, they do not make use of this information to adjust their teaching. Monitoring visit: Siemens Mobility Limited, 3 and 4 August 2022 Subcontracting arrangements with colleges mostly work well. However, during the period of the pandemic, quality assurance processes were not always fully complied with and the performance of a small number of colleges has not been entirely satisfactory. Managers have identified this problem and have sensible plans to remedy it over the coming year.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have made suitable arrangements for end-point assessments. Apprentices understand these arrangements and staff help apprentices to prepare for them well.

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Reasonable progress

A collaborative board meets frequently to provide support and challenge to SMO leaders and managers. However, the board does not yet focus sufficiently on the quality of education, although it is steadily increasing the extent to which it does so.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and trainers plan courses well and this helps to ensure that apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours throughout their studies. For example, apprentices learn how to remove and maintain bearings and axel boxes as part of routine train maintenance. They rapidly become valued members of the workforce.

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Reasonable progress

Trainers organise the content of courses so that apprentices start by learning key underpinning concepts before applying these to more complex topics. This helps apprentices to make sense of a deep and challenging body of knowledge. For example, apprentices start by learning how trains move, they study the operation of motors, and they explore braking and suspension systems.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and trainers closely monitor the progress of apprentices. When apprentices fall behind, staff make appropriate arrangements to help them to catch up, for example by arranging for them to be released from the workplace for longer than usual so that they can complete written work.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and trainers do not give enough thought to how apprentices can develop their English skills beyond the requirements of functional skills qualifications. As a result, apprentices do not always have good opportunities to develop their language skills further, in preparation for more responsible roles.

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Reasonable progress

Assessors do not always provide apprentices with feedback that identifies ways in which they could improve their work. Instead, they focus on whether work meets the requirements of qualifications and the apprenticeship standards.

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Reasonable progress

In a few cases, SMO and college staff do not coordinate the deadlines for the submission of written work. This results in apprentices occasionally being Monitoring visit: Siemens Mobility Limited, 3 and 4 August 2022 overwhelmed by the amount of work, which has a detrimental effect on both the standard of their written work and their ability to do their jobs.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices are safe and feel safe, both when studying and when in the workplace. They develop an in-depth understanding of health and safety and know how to protect themselves while working in dangerous environments. Trainers frequently revisit safety themes to ensure that apprentices’ knowledge and understanding remains current. Apprentices also develop a clear understanding of wider safeguarding topics such as the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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Reasonable progress

Managers take safeguarding seriously. They have appointed a designated safeguarding lead and a large number of local safeguarding leads who support apprentices wherever they are located. Staff receive appropriate training and frequently check on apprentices’ well-being. Where concerns arise, staff deal with them promptly and effectively, and maintain clear and detailed records of the actions taken.

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Reasonable progress

Managers complete a number of pre-employment activities for new staff, including disclosure and barring service checks. However, these procedures would benefit from further strengthening. Monitoring visit: Siemens Mobility Limited, 3 and 4 August 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.

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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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