Data and Marketing Association Limited

Data and Marketing Association Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Jon Bowman, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 February 2024

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Rapier House 40 Lamb’s Conduit Street WC1N 3LJ Monitoring visit: Data and Marketing Association Limited, 21 and 22 February 2024

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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

The Data and Marketing Association Limited (DMA) is a not-for-profit trade association of over 500 corporate members. In addition to offering privately funded training to the sector, DMA began teaching Skills Bootcamps in September 2022. It currently offers two Skills Bootcamps in digital marketing strategy and data and analytics for marketers. These are primarily aimed at upskilling existing employees in small- to medium-sized businesses. Learners are taught mostly online. As a part of the training, learners study for a level 5 qualification. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 107 learners in learning. Eighty-four of these were on the digital marketing strategy and the remainder on the data analytics Skills Bootcamp.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have a clear rationale for the training they offer. Skills Bootcamp courses meet skills shortages well for a range of businesses that need marketers with up-to-date data marketing knowledge and skills. Employers confirm that the training provides learners with the skills and knowledge they need to market their services and products better.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers work effectively with employers in developing and teaching the curriculum. They work with the association’s artificial intelligence (AI) task force of employers to develop curriculum content for a new AI module they are introducing. This means the curriculum keeps pace with the rapid changes taking place in the sector.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers use specialists well to teach aspects of the curriculum. For example, a recruitment specialist teaches learners to make the most of their CVs, develop their online profile and understand the different roles available to them when they finish their training and continue their careers. Learners are taught by tutors who have expert knowledge of the sector that they continue to work in, many in senior roles. Monitoring visit: Data and Marketing Association Limited, 21 and 22 February 2024 Leaders and managers have suitable processes in place to assure the quality of the provision. They make changes to the curriculum in light of their experience. For example, they have modified the web analytics curriculum to make it more accessible for learners new to data marketing. However, they have been slow to make some of the improvements needed because they have not completed a thorough evaluation

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Reasonable progress

of all aspects of the provision. For example, they recognise that some tutors would benefit from training to improve their teaching skills, but this is not yet in place.

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Reasonable progress

Senior leaders provide suitable governance of the provision. Managers provide them with a suitable range of performance information on the Skills Bootcamps. Senior leaders are up to date with key performance metrics about the training, such as the attendance, retention, progress and achievement of learners.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors explain new marketing concepts and terminology clearly in the online sessions. They adapt the curriculum content and scenarios so that they are relevant to learners’ job roles. For example, they adapt teaching material for both business- to-business and business-to-customer marketing roles. Consequently, learners develop new knowledge and skills, which they apply well in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Learners gain comprehensive new knowledge that gives them an in-depth understanding of the digital marketing industry and how to apply this in their work. For example, they learn how to use methods such as sales funnel technique and omnichannel campaigns to design and present marketing briefs. They know how to integrate marketing data using a customer relationship management platform.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors teach data and analytics learners well to use advanced calculation methods, such as standard deviation and pareto charts, to analyse data effectively. As a result, learners develop good mathematics skills. However, tutors do not help learners to develop their written English well enough. In some cases, tutors’ spelling and grammar are inaccurate when they provide written feedback to learners.

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Reasonable progress

Learners produce work that is of a high standard. They create presentations for assignments that are highly detailed and reflect industry standards. Tutors provide comprehensive written feedback that helps learners know what they have done well. However, the feedback they provide does not sufficiently detail what learners need to do to improve their work further.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers make sure that a high proportion of learners complete the taught elements of the training. Those learners who are unemployed when they start their training receive additional support to gain interviews and employment. Monitoring visit: Data and Marketing Association Limited, 21 and 22 February 2024 However, too few of these learners are successful in doing so. In contrast, those learners already employed achieve positive outcomes, such as promotion and new roles and responsibilities at work.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have put in place a safeguarding policy. However, leaders do not sufficiently consider the ‘Prevent’ duty or assess risks to their learners. Leaders and managers have not understood their responsibilities under the ‘Prevent’ duty. They have not made sure that they, or their staff, including the designated safeguarding lead (DSL), are trained in the dangers of radicalisation and extremist views. They do not have links with outside agencies to support the implementation of the ‘Prevent’ duty. Early on in their training, learners are informed of the safeguarding policy, but they are not informed about the dangers of radicalisation and extremist views.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders do not make sure that they have suitable processes in place to identify whether any vulnerable learners, such as those with an education, health and care plan, enrol on the training. Staff, including the DSL, have completed basic safeguarding training. However, the training does not equip them to safeguard vulnerable adults. Monitoring visit: Data and Marketing Association Limited, 21 and 22 February 2024 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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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

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Insufficient progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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