The Construction Skills People Ltd

The Construction Skills People Ltd Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Angela Twelvetree, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 November 2022

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

22 Longacre Close Holbrook Industrial Estate Holbrook Sheffield S20 3FR Monitoring visit: The Construction Skills People Ltd, 23 and 24 November 2022

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Context and focus of visit

From March 2019, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision which began to be funded from August 2017 or after by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. 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

The Construction Skills People Ltd provide adult education courses for unemployed and employed learners in the East Midlands.

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Context and focus of visit

Unemployed learners study short pre-employability courses across 5 academy sites. At the time of the visit, there were 60 learners on level 1 introduction to construction, eight on level 2 retrofit and five on level 2 digital business administration. Employed learners are already in the construction industry. At the time of the visit, there were 50 learners on level 2 construction and 256 on level 3 construction supervisor.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers work successfully with Jobcentre Plus, community groups and local authorities to understand well the needs of the long-term unemployed. They select an appropriate pre-employment curriculum that supports learners to develop valuable personal, social and employability skills.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers work with a range of employers to train new employees and upskill existing employees in construction. This helps to meet the skills shortage in this sector. The range of courses gives employers flexibility to meet their business needs. However, leaders and managers have not planned the curriculum coherently enough to ensure it includes sufficient teaching for learners to develop new skills and knowledge.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that learners study in suitable learning environments. They have access to high-quality facilities and industry-standard equipment across the academies. Learners on pre-employment courses benefit from a range of additional resources, such as free meals, expenses and access to shower facilities. This helps Monitoring visit: The Construction Skills People Ltd, 23 and 24 November 2022 remove some of the barriers for disadvantaged learners and supports them to participate in learning.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders recruit learners appropriately, and they are placed onto either short pre- employability courses or longer National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) courses. However, the pre-employment courses contain too much content, and trainers are only able to provide taster activities for these topics.

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Reasonable progress

The quality assurance process is satisfactory. Leaders and managers understand the strengths and weaknesses of their courses and take appropriate action to address issues in a timely manner.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide useful and supportive careers guidance to unemployed learners. This helps learners plan their next steps well. Progression from pre-employment courses is good. The majority of learners progress to further courses or employment.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have developed courses for unemployed learners that help them to gain an introductory knowledge of construction or business administration activities. Unemployed learners particularly benefit from training that helps them to acquire the Construction Skills Certification Scheme Green Card.

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Reasonable progress

Until relatively recently, NVQ courses focused too much on accrediting learners’ existing skills and not enough on developing new skills and knowledge. Managers have just introduced additional elements of training, but this needs to be developed further.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors of pre-employment courses assess learners’ understanding of topics on a frequent basis. They require learners to answer written questions frequently, which they review, and they provide learners with further guidance. Tutors do not do enough to check that learners retain knowledge and rely too much on simple assessments.

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Reasonable progress

The standard of NVQ assessment varies. Most assessors review learners’ work and ask probing questions to verify learners’ understanding. However, others ask questions and accept answers that do not explore learners’ understanding in sufficient depth.

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Reasonable progress

Arrangements for assessing learners’ starting points are mostly effective, and learners are recruited to suitable courses. However, in a minority of cases, learners Monitoring visit: The Construction Skills People Ltd, 23 and 24 November 2022 are placed on a level 2 retrofit course that is not appropriate for them and, as a result, they do not fully understand the taught content.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors encourage learners to develop their skills in mathematics, English and IT. Unemployed learners benefit from using laptops to carry out research and practise improving their written skills. This is not so well developed for the small number of learners on business administration courses.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors have good subject knowledge, which they use well. They make good use of group discussions, and this helps learners to improve their communication skills. However, in some cases, tutors move too quickly when explaining technical information. As a result, not all learners fully understand what is being taught.

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Reasonable progress

All training staff monitor the progress of learners effectively. Trainers and assessors for employed learners monitor closely learners’ submission of work and contact them frequently to ensure that they remain on target.

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Reasonable progress

The large majority of learners, both employed and unemployed, achieve their qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers take suitable steps to ensure the safety and well-being of learners. They create a safe environment in which tutors and learners are happy to raise concerns or request support.

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Reasonable progress

Managers carry out appropriate background checks on training staff. Staff receive relevant training in safeguarding, and managers provide useful annual updates.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors provide learners with information about safeguarding topics, including ‘Prevent’ duty and British values. However, tutors do not contextualise these topics to local areas in which the academies operate.

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Reasonable progress

When safeguarding cases arise, there is a clear process to follow. Any issues that are reported are dealt with quickly and effectively, with the involvement of outside agencies when required. Monitoring visit: The Construction Skills People Ltd, 23 and 24 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 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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