Siemens Energy Industrial Turbomachinery Limited

Siemens Energy Industrial Turbomachinery Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Saul Pope, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Address:

Waterside South Lincoln LN5 7FD Monitoring visit: Siemens Energy Industrial Turbomachinery Limited, 28 and 29 July 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 Energy Industrial Turbomachinery Limited (SEITL) is an apprenticeship provider based in Lincoln. Apprentices are all employees of Siemens Energy. They study and work at sites across the country. The large majority are based in either Lincoln, or Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. They study engineering apprenticeships at level 3, or level 4.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 29 apprentices that studied engineering. The large majority of these studied level 3 engineering standards. Fewer than five apprentices studied at level 4. A very small number of apprentices were under 18.

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Reasonable progress

SEITL’s senior leaders place a high strategic value on apprenticeship courses. Through apprenticeships, they aim to develop the skilled workforce that Siemens Energy needs across the country. Leaders and managers recruit apprentices who are at the beginning of their careers, and have little or no experience of engineering.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers thoroughly plan the curriculum that apprentices study. Apprentices firstly gain a sound theoretical knowledge of engineering, so that they can operate successfully in a workshop. Once they are in workshops, apprentices develop a broad array of useful engineering skills, because they undertake placements in a variety of different workshop areas. They have access to high- quality, contemporary engineering machinery.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers provide opportunities for apprentices to complete valuable additional courses, such as abrasive wheel training. This gives apprentices additional skills for their workplace. Monitoring visit: Siemens Energy Industrial Turbomachinery Limited, 28 and 29 July 2022 Workshop managers are active in their support for apprentices. They ensure that apprentices receive ample training from their staff, and that apprentices have good opportunities to practise and hone their skills. However, managers do not ensure there are close links between the theoretical topics that apprentices study early in their courses, and the practical skills they develop in the workshops.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders understand accurately the strengths and weaknesses of their apprenticeship courses. They use performance meetings and management data to monitor performance. This includes the work of subcontractors. When leaders are not happy with the performance of subcontractors, they take decisive and appropriate action. Leaders also use information from performance meetings to plan assessor training. However, in a small minority of cases assessors do not access training sessions, because they are based at sites other than the main Lincoln site.

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Reasonable progress

Those responsible for governance effectively hold leaders to account for the quality of apprenticeship provision. For example, they scrutinise the support that staff provide for apprentices who need additional help with their studies.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices benefit from ample off-the-job study time, both when they study theory topics and learn new practical skills. If apprentices have detailed prior knowledge of certain engineering topics, leaders and managers ensure that these apprentices undertake more challenging theoretical learning. On the few occasions that apprentices fall behind with their studies, they receive timely support and adjustments to their courses, which helps them to catch up.

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Reasonable progress

Staff that work with apprentices have appropriate qualifications, and high levels of subject knowledge. For example, apprentices’ assessors all have considerable engineering experience, and continue to work in engineering roles. They know precisely what apprentices need to do to improve their performance.

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Reasonable progress

Managers and assessors plan logically apprentices’ workshop-based learning. Apprentices first shadow colleagues, before they attempt easier and then more challenging machine operations. Assessors conduct rigorous checks of apprentices’ skills. For example, they do not deem apprentices to be competent in grinding until they complete several different grinding tasks independently.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices rightly value their review meetings with assessors and managers. Apprentices know precisely what they need to do to make improvements on their course. They also know what they need to do at end-point assessment. Monitoring visit: Siemens Energy Industrial Turbomachinery Limited, 28 and 29 July 2022 Apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours during their courses. For example, those with no prior engineering experience quickly learn how to competently use milling machines. Later in their courses, apprentices accurately make compressor blades for turbines.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices produce written work that is of at least a reasonable standard. For example, they describe well how to safely carry out electrical installation tasks. Although apprentices develop their core mathematical knowledge on their courses, they do not benefit from enough learning to develop their English knowledge. As a result, apprentices inaccurately spell key technical words.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders focus closely on the safety and well-being of apprentices, both when they study on site and when they study with subcontractors. In workshops, there is a close focus on safety. Apprentices strictly follow risk assessments, and wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

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Reasonable progress

During their studies, apprentices cover useful safeguarding-related topics. These include the risks of radicalisation and extremism, and sexual harassment. In most cases, apprentices have a thorough knowledge of the signs of radicalisation, and of inappropriate behaviour at work.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices feel safe when they study, and know who to contact with safeguarding concerns. When apprentices disclose concerns, safeguarding leads ensure that they get immediate support, and help to tackle underlying issues.

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Reasonable progress

Staff, including the designated safeguarding lead, undertake appropriate safeguarding-related training. However, safeguarding leads do not hold centrally information about safeguarding training that staff complete. Although managers provided clear evidence that training had taken place, this proved to be a challenge for them. Monitoring visit: Siemens Energy Industrial Turbomachinery Limited, 28 and 29 July 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

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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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