WEC Group Limited

WEC Group Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Helen Whelan, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 December 2024

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Address:

Premier Way Blackburn Lancashire BB1 2JU Monitoring visit: WEC Group Limited, 17 and 18 December 2024

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of apprenticeship training provision funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and/or the apprenticeship levy. 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 WEC Group (WEC) is one of the largest contract manufacturing companies in Europe. WEC gained a contract to deliver apprenticeships as an employer provider in February 2023 and began recruiting apprentices to the level 3 plate welder apprenticeship in August 2023. There are now 46 apprentices in learning based at sites in Blackburn in Lancashire and Rotherham in Yorkshire. 40 apprentices are aged 16 to 18; the remainder are aged 19 to 24. Almost all apprentices are male. WEC subcontracts functional skills training to a specialist provider for the relatively small number of apprentices who need to complete their English and mathematics qualifications.

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Significant progress

Leaders have designed an ambitious level 3 plate welder apprenticeship. This helps them to bridge the skills gaps facing the engineering industry, meet the needs of their business and support apprentices in their locality to start a rewarding career in engineering. Leaders are passionate to develop the next generation of world-class engineers. They ensure apprentices receive high-quality training from instructors who have substantial engineering experience. Apprentices practise their skills and apply their knowledge in well-equipped workshops and through using high-quality resources. Apprentices who have additional learning needs, including dyslexia and autism, receive effective support. Apprentices use assistive technology and are given additional time to complete assignments. Apprentices make sustained progress through the curriculum, in line with their peers. Leaders design the curriculum so that it extends beyond the apprenticeship. They

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Significant progress

arrange numerous opportunities for apprentices to be involved in community Monitoring visit: WEC Group Limited, 17 and 18 December 2024 projects. Apprentices are working with a local artist to design a sculpture for the local moorlands. They complete installations for Remembrance Day and participate in various charity events. Leaders have effective arrangements in place to manage their subcontracted partner who provides apprentices with training in English and mathematics. Leaders meet with them on a weekly basis to ensure that they have a detailed understanding of the progress apprentices make. Leaders make effective use of quality assurance processes to check the quality of training. This includes observing lessons and progress reviews, evaluating the standard of apprentices’ work and surveying apprentices for their views. They respond quickly to any areas of improvement they identify. Leaders have established effective governance arrangements. Governors have a

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Significant progress

range of valuable skills in engineering, education, and human resources. They have a sound grasp of the provision’s strengths and areas for improvement and hold leaders to account for the quality of training they provide.

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Significant progress

Leaders carefully structure the curriculum so that apprentices acquire the substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours they need. Apprentices first learn about metal active gas welding, as this is the most common process used in the industry, before moving on to tungsten inert gas welding. Apprentices apply these different techniques to a range of different joints. They start with basic joints and then move to more advanced joints such as fillet weld, outside corner and butt joints. Apprentices quickly develop the skills to independently work on a wide range of projects, such as nuclear submarine parts and CCTV camera poles. Instructors effectively integrate English and mathematics into the curriculum, so that apprentices continually develop these skills. Apprentices confidently use a range of mathematical formulae in their daily work. This includes temperature, area and perimeter. They also develop their subject-specific terminology successfully.

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Significant progress

Leaders ensure that apprentices’ on- and off-the-job training is well coordinated. Instructors compile thorough training plans to support apprentices during their placements. They work closely with employers to ensure apprentices complete specific activities to further develop their skills. Leaders have an excellent oversight of the progress apprentices make. Apprentices benefit from instructors’ comprehensive reviews of their progress and the valuable feedback they provide on their work. Apprentices know what they need to do to improve. Monitoring visit: WEC Group Limited, 17 and 18 December 2024 Instructors skilfully use a range of assessment tools to monitor apprentices’ understanding and to address any misconceptions they might have. During practical sessions, instructors use questioning adeptly to check apprentices’ understanding. Instructors use the results of these assessments to adapt the content of their

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Significant progress

training sessions effectively. Apprentices are being prepared well for their final assessment. They produce high- quality work which includes comprehensive, reflective accounts of their learning. In practical sessions, apprentices work to industry standards, producing welds to minimal tolerance levels.

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Significant progress

Leaders have established a positive safeguarding culture. They have appointed a designated safeguarding lead, deputy and wider team. They ensure that all staff receive suitable training. Leaders have in place an effective range of processes to manage the safe recruitment of staff and to deal with safeguarding incidents effectively. Leaders ensure apprentices can protect themselves from risks. They invite in local services to talk to apprentices about pertinent topics, such as drink and drug driving, knife crime and county lines. Apprentices have a detailed understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. Apprentices feel safe when they attend training and work. Monitoring visit: WEC Group Limited, 17 and 18 December 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

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Significant progress

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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Significant progress

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Significant 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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