Utility & Construction Training Limited

Utility & Construction Training Limited

Address: Unit 5&11, Mercury Park, Mercury Way, Manchester, M41 7LY Unique reference number (URN): 1276404

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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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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors have a broadly accurate understanding of the provider’s strengths and areas for development. They identify key improvement priorities and usually take appropriate action to tackle these. For example, they reviewed the sequencing of training and recognised the need to strengthen the standardisation and completion of progress reviews. However, it is too soon to determine the full impact of these actions on the frequency of apprentices' reviews.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors have a well-defined strategy to support the power industry through specialist training. They understand current and emerging skills requirements well, investing significantly in high-quality facilities and industry-experienced staff. This has ensured that apprentices train using up-to-date equipment and resources.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors challenge leaders appropriately. They ask leaders relevant questions and check how well improvement actions are working. Their involvement in introducing the new online portfolio system shows that they monitor developments closely, although it is too early to judge the full impact of this involvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders promote a culture in which they support staff wellbeing and maintain manageable group sizes, giving trainers time to focus on supporting apprentices. They plan professional development appropriately, with staff encouraged to gain teaching qualifications and stay up to date with industry practice. Leaders work effectively with employers and other partners to ensure that staff training is relevant and designed so that trainers can best support apprentices to progress in a rapidly changing industry. However, leaders' identification and development of staff teaching skills are less well established.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders understand apprentices' individual needs and barriers to learning. They ensure that appropriate support is in place for most apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those who are disadvantaged and those facing other challenges. Leaders ensure that trainers make the curriculum accessible to apprentices with additional needs. Trainers frequently review and adjust support when necessary. Most apprentices with additional needs achieve in line with expectations.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders respond effectively to short-term disadvantages. For example, when apprentices are made redundant, staff help them to secure new employment so they can continue their apprenticeship.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have established useful processes to promote inclusion, responding appropriately when needs arise. They gather broad contextual information, such as data on apprentices from disadvantaged postcodes. However, leaders recognise the need to make better use of this information to improve their strategic oversight of inclusion and to evaluate and refine their actions over time.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Staff do not routinely develop through training their knowledge of SEND or specific diagnoses.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most apprentices make at least the progress expected of them based on their prior knowledge and experience, and most complete their apprenticeship within the planned timeframe. Achievement is above the national rate for those aged 19 and over, although only a few achieve the highest grades. Achievement is lower for apprentices aged under 19 on the scaffolding apprenticeship, but leaders understand why and have plans to address this.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need. For example, cable jointing apprentices learn circuit theory, including series and parallel circuits. Employers report that apprentices become more confident and more actively involved in work activities. The majority of apprentices also develop the English and mathematics skills that they require for their jobs. Apprentices produce work that meets expected standards and grows in complexity.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders create a calm and welcoming environment where apprentices can focus on learning. Instructors promote respectful behaviours and encourage apprentices to support one another. Female apprentices in male-dominated sectors feel safe and well supported, and know where to seek help.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for attendance and behaviour. Apprentices attend regularly, behave appropriately, and understand the importance of following safe working procedures. Instructors act swiftly when behaviour falls short and consistently reinforce health and safety expectations.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders support apprentices to complete additional qualifications, including first aid, street works, manual handling and working with high and low voltage. Apprentices develop broader employability skills such as teamwork, communication and confidence. For example, during pole-climbing activities, apprentices work collaboratively to ensure that equipment is passed safely.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices benefit from age-appropriate content on radicalisation, extremism, drug and alcohol misuse, healthy relationships and cyber security. They know how to keep themselves and others safe at work. Staff help most apprentices understand fundamental British values well.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices mostly receive appropriate careers advice and guidance. They can explain potential next steps, such as engineering roles or degree apprenticeships. Scaffolding instructors outline progression routes to advanced level courses and specialist industries, including offshore work.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders understand apprenticeship requirements but do not ensure that apprentices consistently benefit from effective reviews of their progress. They do not consistently work with employers to plan on- and off-the-job training. Leaders recognise the need to improve the consistency and timeliness of progress reviews for apprentices, and actions are under way to address this.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders design curriculums that are highly relevant to local, regional and national skills priorities. Apprenticeships support employers to harness green energy and update the power infrastructure in the United Kingdom.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Trainers teach logically sequenced apprenticeships. After an initial focus on health and safety, they cover topics such as distribution networks and modules on manual handling before developing core skills. Over time, the content becomes more complex and demanding, enabling apprentices to build higher levels of technical understanding and professional confidence. This well-sequenced approach helps to ensure that apprentices acquire the skills required for their specialist roles, and they become increasingly effective in the workplace as they develop their expertise.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Trainers are highly experienced specialists with technical expertise. Most hold a teaching qualification. They teach technical vocabulary effectively and use high-quality resources to help apprentices build their skills. Leaders ensure that curriculums are accessible and responsive to apprentices’ needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

In practical workshops, instructors assess learning effectively, provide developmental feedback and quickly correct misconceptions. They frequently question apprentices, set revision tasks and carry out practical assessments to identify gaps early. However, feedback on written work is minimal and does not help apprentices understand how to improve, particularly their written English.

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

Apprentices benefit from well-planned vocational training that enables them to develop secure technical competence and grow in personal confidence. Most apprentices train in the power or scaffolding industries and attend their training through one-week-long residential blocks. They value their training highly and become increasingly assured in applying new knowledge and skills in their jobs. Regular practice with industry-relevant tasks enables apprentices to develop independence and take increasing responsibility for their learning. This exposure helps them to understand professional expectations, and they show mature attitudes and professional conduct throughout their training. When apprentices face personal or work-related challenges, staff provide generally effective and timely support that helps them remain engaged and continue to make progress.

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

Training takes place in well-resourced workshops that contain high-quality specialist equipment. Apprentices appreciate working with up-to-date resources and benefit from the extensive sector expertise of their trainers. Staff provide clear explanations and skilled practical demonstrations that help apprentices grasp complex concepts and apply them safely. This helps to build strong motivation and positive attitudes among apprentices.

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

Apprentices report high levels of satisfaction with their training and feel it meets their expectations. They value the positive impact it has on securing employment and providing future career opportunities. Many apprentices complete additional training beyond their main qualification, which strengthens their health and safety knowledge and professional practice.

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

Apprentices do not benefit from formal progress reviews that are consistently completed within planned timescales. However, they receive valuable and frequent individual support from trainers and workplace supervisors. This ongoing guidance ensures that most apprentices understand what they need to improve and maintain steady progress through their programme.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that progress reviews are completed on time and to a high standard. Leaders should strengthen instructors' feedback on written work so that it supports apprentices to improve their written English. Leaders should plan off-the-job training so that all apprentices have timely opportunities to practise and consolidate new skills. Leaders should develop clearer oversight of their inclusion strategy, including how they evaluate the impact of their actions and ensure that actions already under way have the desired impact. Leaders should provide staff with high-quality, targeted professional development, including on strategies to support apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities, that further strengthens their teaching practice.

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About this inspection

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

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with apprentices, employers, trainers, directors and managers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

Utility and Construction Training Limited offers specialist apprenticeship training in the power industry, focusing on engineering roles that support energy infrastructure in critical settings. They also offer an apprenticeship in scaffolding. Apprentices are employed by a range of regional and national employers. Those on power-related apprenticeships attend training at the provider’s well-equipped centres in Manchester, while scaffolding apprentices attend training at the centre in Newcastle upon Tyne.

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About this inspection

At the time of inspection, there were 270 apprentices, of whom 236 were on power-related apprenticeships and the remainder on scaffolding. Apprentices are predominantly aged 19 or over, with 85 aged 16 to 18. Apprentices typically begin their training with limited prior experience in the sector.

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About this inspection

Training takes place at the provider’s well-equipped centre, where apprentices access industry standard facilities and specialist equipment.

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Team inspectors:

Suzanne Wainwright, His Majesty's Inspector David Sykes, Ofsted Inspector Jackie Moores, Ofsted Inspector Liz Greenhalgh, Ofsted Inspector Helen Whelan, His Majesty's Inspector

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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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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 standard 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 standard 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.

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Urgent improvement

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

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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Urgent improvement

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 . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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