Generation You Employed

Generation You Employed Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Viki Faulkner, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

1 High Street Egham Surrey TW20 9HJ Monitoring visit: Generation You Employed, 2 and 3 August 2023

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection. 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

Generation You Employed (known as Generation UK) is a charity with a mission to support people facing barriers to employment. It launched in the UK in 2019 as part of a global network of not-for-profit organisations. Generation UK offers seven bootcamp courses which target entry level jobs in the technology, health and green sectors. It trains learners across Greater London, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, Greater Manchester and Scotland. Bootcamp teaching and employability support are almost all provided online. At the time of the visit, there were 21 learners on an information technology (IT) service support bootcamp, funded by West Midlands Combined Authority. All learners were aged 19 or older. The provider was not working with any subcontractors.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers and staff share a strong understanding of the mission and vision of the charity. They focus robustly on increasing employability for those with multiple barriers to employment. They work closely with job centres, other charities, their alumni network and a ‘women in technology’ group to recruit learners from under- represented groups successfully.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have designed well-planned training courses in sectors such as cloud computing, which provides learners with life-changing career opportunities. Employability coaches and mentors provide wraparound support that focuses effectively on building skills such as job searching and interview preparation. Leaders have recognised challenges in the technology sector job market and adapted their programme appropriately by extending the employability support programme. As a result, most learners now secure employment within a year of completing their training. Leaders rightly recognise that the number of learners moving into jobs in the West Midlands is lower than that of the rest of the country. It is too early to see the impact of actions they have taken to close this gap. Monitoring visit: Generation You Employed, 2 and 3 August 2023 Leaders engage employers effectively in the design of the curriculum. As a result,

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Reasonable progress

they ensure that learners are gaining the skills that employers need. Employers are rightly positive about the quality of the relationships they have with Generation staff. Staff provide tailored, well-focused support to enable employers to fill challenging recruitment gaps with high-quality candidates trained by Generation UK.

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Reasonable progress

Highly experienced trustees provide effective governance. They are clear about the strengths and areas for development of the organisation. They challenge leaders well to ensure they retain a clear focus on social impact for learners. For example, they challenged leaders to consider introducing new courses, and they questioned bootcamps attracting high numbers of graduates. As a result, leaders maintain a strong focus on ensuring that they recruit the right learners onto courses that provide clear job opportunities.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have designed courses that build logically the knowledge and skills learners need to gain employment. For example, instructors teach IT service support learners about customer service and communication skills within the first week of their course. As a result, these learners understand the importance of the way in which they should talk to clients, as well as learning the technical knowledge about computers and systems they need to provide the necessary support.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers review their curriculum frequently to ensure it remains fit for purpose. Where they identify improvements, they adapt the curriculum appropriately to increase employment opportunities for learners. For example, they extended the IT service support bootcamp from eight weeks to nine weeks to include content on cyber security in response to employer feedback. As a result, learners now gain this key knowledge that forms part of many helpdesk assistant job descriptions.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have put in place suitable arrangements for identifying learners’ prior knowledge and experience at the start of their programme. However, instructors do not always use this information well enough to inform their planning. As a result, a small number of learners repeat learning at the start of the programme and do not progress as swiftly as they could.

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Reasonable progress

Mentors and employability coaches provide helpful sessions for learners to develop the English skills they need to secure a job. Coaches work closely with learners to help them create a CV, complete application forms and practise giving presentations. Learners rightly value the role play and mock interviews that enable them to rehearse the speaking and listening skills they need. Leaders planning for developing Monitoring visit: Generation You Employed, 2 and 3 August 2023 learners’ mathematical skills on the IT service support bootcamp is limited. As a result, learners make slow progress in this area.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have suitable policies and procedures in place, which contributes positively to keeping learners safe. Leaders recruit and train staff appropriately. This ensures that they are safe to work with adult learners. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) logs and tracks concerns raised by staff or learners carefully. The DSL engages external agencies swiftly and appropriately in the best interests of the learners. Leaders rightly recognise they have further work to do in completing their ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and increasing their understanding of regional risks.

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Reasonable progress

Learners feel safe attending online training sessions. They receive helpful advice about safeguarding at the start of their programme. As a result, they know how to seek support or raise concerns. They understand how to keep safe online, to be vigilant to the risk of radicalisation and extremism and what to do if they encounter peers who talk about harming themselves or others. Monitoring visit: Generation You Employed, 2 and 3 August 2023 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

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 .

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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 .

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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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