Manchester Digital Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Manchester Digital Limited

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Inspection dates: 25 to 27 September 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Manchester Digital Limited is an independent learning provider based in the city of Manchester. At the time of the inspection, there were 31 apprentices studying on three standards-based level 4 apprenticeships. There were 14 apprentices on the software developer apprenticeship, 14 apprentices on business analyst, and three apprentices on the data analyst standard. All apprentices were aged 19 years and above.

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Information about this provider

Manchester Digital Limited works with two subcontractors. CTSW Skills Limited provides functional skills English and mathematics tuition to a few apprentices who need to complete these qualifications as part of their apprenticeship. The Learning Support Centre Limited provides tailored individual support to a few apprentices who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Information about this provider

All training is delivered remotely. 25 to 27 September 2024

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices receive high-quality, specialist training. They enjoy their training and develop a wide range of knowledge, skills and behaviours. Level 4 data analysts learn about the data life cycle before applying this learning at work to accurately identify, transform, verify and manage data. At the time of the inspection, those apprentices who have completed their apprenticeship, have passed their final assessments. Around half of apprentices achieved a merit and a further third achieved a distinction grade.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices develop their self-esteem. They confidently give professional presentations at work. Apprentices start to believe in themselves. They become confident and competent practitioners in their chosen digital specialisms.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Apprentices with SEND benefit from regular meetings with specialist support tutors to help them overcome barriers to studying and learning. They complete work in manageable tasks to meet submission deadlines. This enables apprentices to make the same progress and achieve in line with their peers.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Attendance and punctuality to training are high. Apprentices are respectful and professional at work and during their training. Apprentices benefit from caring and trusting relationships with their technical trainers (trainers) and skills coaches. They feel safe and know how to report any concerns they may have about themselves or others.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

A few apprentices participate, win or become finalists, in national competitions such as the BCS ICT Apprentice of the Year and Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards.

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better?

Leaders have a clear aim to cultivate the next generation of digital leaders. To achieve this, leaders offer three digital career pathways that are closely aligned with the specific skills needs of local and national employers in the digital sector.

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better?

Trainers and skills coaches are experienced and qualified to teach apprentices. They routinely update their subject knowledge, for instance in relation to addictive design, ethics in software development, and bias in artificial intelligence. However, leaders have not ensured that trainers and skills coaches receive training to further strengthen their teaching practice.

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better?

Apprentices benefit from an engaging and stimulating curriculum. Guest speakers routinely attend training sessions to inform apprentices about the latest industry developments. For instance, level 4 software developers learn about accessibility in software. In training sessions, trainers routinely encourage apprentices to share their own experiences at work. This promotes useful group discussions and reflections. Apprentices make at least their expected progress and complete their apprenticeships on time. 25 to 27 September 2024

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The planning and coordination of apprentices’ on- and off-the-job training is very effective. Skills coaches work cohesively with apprentices’ line managers and mentors to identify opportunities at work for apprentices to apply the knowledge and skills they learn in their training. This enables apprentices to swiftly develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be successful at work.

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Trainers use assessment well. They use appropriate questioning techniques and routinely recap on topics to identify gaps in learning and inform teaching. Trainers ask probing questions that allow apprentices to demonstrate their deep knowledge of the subject. Apprentices studying the level 4 business analyst apprenticeship readily recall how to use Porter’s Five Forces strategic analysis model when analysing an industry’s strengths and weaknesses. Apprentices retain information in their long-term memories.

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Trainers contextualise their teaching of functional skills English and mathematics. They tailor their teaching to apprentices’ job roles, for example in software developing, and analytics. Trainers include examples such as pension forecasts, budgeting, and looking for coding errors in software such as Python. This helps apprentices to gain a secure understanding of the topic. All apprentices pass their functional skills English, and almost all pass their mathematics examinations at their first attempt.

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Apprentices know about the range of specialist career paths they can follow. They regularly attend industry events and conferences. Before apprentices take their final examinations, they attend visiting speaker events to discuss recruiting trends, skills demands and what employers look for in applicants. Female apprentices benefit from support through the Digital Her initiative, to enable them to have thriving careers in the digital sector, where there are significantly lower numbers of women.

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Leaders have appropriate quality assurance and improvement processes in place. They routinely complete observations of teaching and progress reviews, and check apprentices’ marked work. This includes with subcontracted staff. However, observations are not sufficiently focused on pedagogical aspects of teaching, and areas for improvement are vague. This means that trainers do not know specifically what teaching skills they need to improve and the actions they need to take to achieve this.

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Leaders manage their subcontractors effectively. They hold regular meetings to discuss aspects such as the progress of apprentices and any issues or concerns they may have.

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Governors receive a range of suitable information from managers. This helps them to understand the strengths, and the areas they need to improve. Governors closely monitor these areas. They hold leaders to account to make the necessary changes to improve the standard of apprentices’ training. For instance, leaders have further strengthened their engagement with employers by holding induction sessions for apprentices’ line managers and mentors. This has enabled line managers and mentors to improve how they support their apprentices at work. 25 to 27 September 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Strengthen the observation process so that trainers know specifically what teaching skills they need to improve and the actions they need to take to achieve this.  Provide trainers with appropriate training that helps them to further improve their teaching skills. 25 to 27 September 2024

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Provider details

Address Manchester Technology Centre Oxford Road Manchester M1 7ED

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Katie Gallagher

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors CTSW Skills Limited The Learning Support Centre Limited 25 to 27 September 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of programmes, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Kim Bleasdale, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Alastair Mollon His Majesty’s Inspector 25 to 27 September 2024

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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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