Martec Training

Martec Training Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address: London Road Newcastle Staffordshire ST5 1LZ Monitoring visit: Martec Training, 9 November 2022

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Context and focus of visit

Martec Training was inspected in November 2021. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in addressing the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the visit, there were 100 learners on study programmes and 35 on apprenticeship standards, of which 22 were on the level 2 autocare technician, 12 on the level 3 vehicle damage paint technician and one on the level 3 motor vehicle service and maintenance technician (light vehicle) apprenticeships.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have implemented a range of appropriately considered actions to improve the learning experience for both learners and apprentices. These include improved selection and recruitment procedures, earlier use of initial and diagnostic assessment to identify learners’ and apprentices’ support needs and targeted support for those learners and apprentices closest to their planned end dates. As result, learners and apprentices are making swifter progress in relation to their identified potential and abilities.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have introduced an improved system to track apprentices’ progress, attendance and timekeeping. They now receive more insightful information on assessments undertaken by each learner and apprentice, and on the progress they are making on their courses and apprenticeships. While this has been implemented relatively recently, this allows for more effective monitoring of learners and apprentice’s progress, ensuring that those who are identified as making slow progress receive the required additional support to catch up.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have carried out a detailed audit of the skills and experience of all training staff. Staff have benefited from access to appropriately targeted development, with a particular focus on sharing of teaching and assessment strategies. Leaders have ensured that individual performance reviews now have a sharper focus on evaluating and holding trainers and instructors to account for the quality of teaching and training that they provide. This ensures that staff work to the higher aspirations that Monitoring visit: Martec Training, 9 November 2022 leaders have set for quality of education and, ultimately, for their learners’ and apprentices’ progress and achievement.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders now provide the board with extensive and detailed information about the most significant aspects of learners’ and apprentices’ progress and achievement. They also receive useful information on how effectively leaders are responding to the findings of the previous inspection. The board uses this information to appropriately support leaders and hold them to account. As a result, board members are more assertive and ambitious for the organisation to improve the quality of its provision.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders clearly identify the starting points of apprentices and learners. This information is used to develop their individual learning plan in order to support specific skills development. Although the individual learning plan for apprentices is shared with apprentices and employers, the complexity of the plan has resulted in it not being routinely used by some workplace mentors to plan activities. As a result, mentors do not yet ensure that apprentices practise the skills they have most recently learned in their off-the-job training in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Learners and apprentices develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Apprentices are able to explain the different types of hybrid vehicles and the benefits and the limitations of these. Study programme learners become familiar with technical language and skills, such as the names of tools and how to drain radiators, which allows them to participate with increasing confidence in their work experience.

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Reasonable progress

Study programme learners participate in work experience that is closely linked to their career and study aspirations. However, staff do not routinely share with placement supervisors the plan of learning that will take place during the course. Learners and work placement supervisors state they are not yet able to identify opportunities to practise skills they are learning during their placement.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices are able to practise what they have learned in the workplace. Where apprentices are not able to practise their new knowledge in the workplace, staff arrange short work placements in other garages to allow apprentices to practise their skills in a working environment. For example, some apprentices attend an alternative garage to practise wheel alignment.

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Reasonable progress

Employers understand the progress that apprentices are making. They participate in regular progress reviews in which they discuss the apprentices’ progress at the training centre and in the workplace. Employers use the information from these discussions to further support learning in the workplace, supporting apprentices to Monitoring visit: Martec Training, 9 November 2022 develop technical skills and confidence, and allowing them to become more independent. As a result, apprentices develop the confidence to deal directly with customers and suppliers.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, staff have received appropriate training and guidance to extend learners’ and apprentices’ understanding of the importance of healthy relationships and how it applies to their personal and work-related settings. However, they have not yet received training on how to support learners’ understanding of healthy sexual relationships. Leaders have established appropriately detailed plans to pilot a healthy sexual relationships training course for staff which covers matters such as intimacy, love and sexual lifestyles in order to develop their confidence in promoting these topics with learners and apprentices.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors effectively promote positive relationships in lessons and workshops. Learners and apprentices mix well with each other and feel confident that bullying and inappropriate banter would not be tolerated. They know who to report any concerns to at the provider and at their work placements.

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Reasonable progress

Apprentices have a more developed understanding of their social responsibility in relation to healthy sexual relationships, and described how they would intervene if they felt someone was unsafe, for example moving the person away from the risk or escalating to a more senior person such as a manager or the police.

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Reasonable progress

Most apprentices and a few learners understand healthy relationships, characteristics of a good friendship and how to protect themselves from others. However, too few study programme learners can recall any specific learning around sexual relationships, consent, sexual harassment and personal boundaries. Apprentices who have been on their apprenticeship longer have had training sessions in these areas. Monitoring visit: Martec Training, 9 November 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

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Reasonable progress

children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Reasonable progress

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