Unipres (UK) Limited

Unipres (UK) Limited

Address: Cherry Blossom Way, SR5 3NT Unique reference number (URN): 1276522

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and trainers accurately identify apprentices’ support needs during the recruitment process and after they join the company. Leaders target the recruitment of apprentices to residents of the local communities in the North East. The company priority is to provide good-quality jobs to local people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders apply a graduated approach to ensuring that all apprentices receive the support they need based on their individual circumstances, both at the start of the apprenticeship and when circumstances change. When apprentices require additional support, tutors and work supervisors agree individual plans to help them overcome barriers to learning. The impact of the support provided is closely monitored. Support is removed in a timely way when apprentices have overcome these barriers. Leaders ensure that staff receive the training that they need to provide tailored support for apprentices.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Tutors know their apprentices very well, and maintain regular contact with them and their factory supervisors. Tutors are quickly made aware of any changes to apprentices’ personal circumstances, challenges they face, or issues impacting on their health and well-being, such as support following bereavement. Tutors take timely actions to make adjustments to apprentices’ programmes so that they are well supported to achieve.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders use a wide range of effective quality monitoring procedures, which include the input of partners from other further education and skills providers, to provide them with a well- informed understanding of the strengths of the provision and areas requiring improvement. Leaders ensure that any actions identified to improve aspects of provision are acted on swiftly.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Senior leaders have a clear ambition for the role of the Unipres Training Academy to support the workforce development needs of the business. Senior leaders carefully balance the best interests of apprentices with business needs to ensure that the lean manufacturing apprenticeship enables apprentices to become effective machine and production operatives, ready to progress further in their careers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Senior leaders have high expectations for the standard of training that apprentices receive. They work closely with academy leaders, supporting and challenging them well to refine and improve the curriculum. This ensures that apprentices receive high-quality teaching that supports them to meet the business and quality standards required by the company. Leaders consider staff workload and well-being carefully when making decisions about the apprenticeship training programme. Tutors are supported well to engage in high-quality professional learning and development programmes that support their roles as trainers and mentors to apprentices. This well-planned professional development helps tutors to maintain their currency and provide high-quality teaching to apprentices.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders have taken effective action to provide appropriate support for new apprentices when transitioning from school to the apprenticeship. In previous years, too many apprentices left the programme early because of the demands of a workplace environment that they were not fully prepared for. As a result of leaders' actions, the proportion of apprentices in the 2024/25 cohort remaining on the course has improved significantly and is now high.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices successfully develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to become competent machine and press operators. They apply these well when working to the exacting quality and production standards the company requires.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices are well prepared for their next steps. A high proportion progress successfully into more senior roles. Several progress to higher-level apprenticeships.

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Achievement Expected standard

The proportion of apprentices who achieve at the end-point assessment is high. However, too few achieve distinction grades.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a well-informed understanding of the company’s training requirements, the quality of the curriculum and how the apprenticeship supports the company’s workforce development needs. Tutors adapt the curriculum swiftly in response to new production procedures. The coordination of on- and off-the-job training is seamless.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders implement a well-designed and sequenced curriculum. Apprentices study an initial block of training where they learn health and safety fundamentals, machine orientation and operation techniques. They progress to learn about lean manufacturing and fault-finding, which prepares them well to undertake more complex activities in the factory. Staff ensure the curriculum is accessible for all apprentices, including those who have support needs or are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Staff ensure that apprentices who require English or mathematics functional skills qualifications complete these quickly.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors teach apprentices well. They are vocational experts and use a range of methods to help deconstruct and simplify learning for apprentices using appropriate technical vocabulary. They take the time to explain, show and model techniques which helps apprentices to master these competently.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors undertake frequent assessments of apprentices' practical skills. They provide ongoing coaching for apprentices to help them understand what they could do to be better operatives. However, the feedback that tutors provide on apprentices’ written work is less helpful in supporting them to improve.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors prepare apprentices well to achieve the end-point assessment. They conduct frequent observations, replicating the end-point examiner in mock interviews. However, they do not provide focused guidance about how apprentices could strive to achieve distinction grades.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Staff have high expectations of apprentices’ behaviour, conduct and the quality of their work. Apprentices are highly motivated and attend training with enthusiasm. They never miss classes other than through illness. In the few instances where apprentices are absent, additional training sessions are arranged quickly to help them catch up.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices understand that bullying and harassment are not tolerated at Unipres. They know who to report any concerns to. Apprentices are very confident that any concerns they raise would be treated seriously. Apprentices respond well to the company’s positive culture about staff well-being.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Through the wide range of additional personal development topics covered in the curriculum, apprentices develop in maturity and learn the importance and benefits of being active citizens. Staff teach useful topics such as financial management and the risks associated with gambling as well as covering themes such as equality and rule of law.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders and tutors ensure that apprentices receive impartial high-quality careers advice and guidance. They provide additional opportunities for apprentices to visit well-known car manufacturers, so they understand the breadth of employment opportunities in the sector. Throughout the apprenticeship, apprentices learn about the potential career pathways they can progress to when they complete their apprenticeship.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices value highly the opportunity they have, through the apprenticeship, to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to become competent machine and press operators. They welcome the extensive career progression opportunities that are available to them in the company and the wider automotive manufacturing industry after they have completed their apprenticeship. Apprentices receive very helpful advice and guidance and good support to progress to higher-level apprenticeships and more responsible roles, such as crane operators, operational supervisors, and engineers.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices are highly motivated, attend training well and work with enthusiasm. They develop resilience and gain confidence throughout the apprenticeship. Leaders' targeted approach to recruiting from disadvantaged backgrounds is well recognised by apprentices. They fully appreciate the improved career, earnings and life opportunities that the apprenticeship provides.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices enjoy working in an environment where they feel a clear sense of belonging at work and with their colleagues. They thrive, develop useful skills, and build relationships that will sustain them throughout their career.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices welcome the actions taken by staff to reduce barriers to learning and to support them with their well-being. Apprentices who do not have English and mathematics qualifications at level 2 are given the teaching and support they need to achieve these.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices learn about a wide range of useful topics in addition to lean manufacturing. They learn how to understand finances and the risks associated with gambling. Apprentices develop a good understanding of equality and democracy because they are contextualised well to their work. For example, they learn the importance of effective communication to reduce the risk of accidents and the right to vote for pay and conditions in the workplace. Apprentices feel safe and are confident to raise any concerns.

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Next steps

• Leaders should further strengthen the training and support they provide for tutors so that they can improve the quality and helpfulness of the feedback they provide to apprentices on their written coursework. • Leaders should further strengthen the guidance that tutors provide to apprentices to support and challenge them to achieve distinction grades at their end-point assessments. • Leaders should continue to strengthen the support they provide for new apprentices to make a smooth transition from school to working in a demanding factory environment to further reduce the proportion of apprentices who leave early in their programme.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

Following our updated inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with Unipres training academy leaders and tutors, Unipres (UK) Limited directors and senior managers, apprentices and apprentices' workplace supervisors.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

The Unipres Training Academy, based in Sunderland, is responsible for providing a wide range of in-company training and development programmes for Unipres (UK) Limited, the UK branch of Unipres Corporation, a global manufacturer of car body components. At the time of the inspection, there were 11 apprentices enrolled on the level 2 lean manufacturing operative apprenticeship. Apprentices are all new recruits who are employed to work in manufacturing roles in the Unipres (UK) Limited Sunderland factory.

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About this inspection

Unipres Training Academy Controller: Rob Dodds

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standards expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standards set out in statutory and non-statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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