Setting

T R A I N I N G S T A N D A R D S C O U N C I L

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I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Midland Group Training Services Limited I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Midland Group Training Services Limited provides satisfactory training in engineering. Trainees benefit from a good range of training resources. Advanced modern apprentices value their on- and off-the-job training and retention rates are high. Some trainees, however, make slow progress. Modern apprentices do not receive any assessment of their key skills until near the end of their programme. Recruitment data relating to equal opportunities are collected and analysed effectively. There is, however, insufficient monitoring of the promotion of equal opportunities in the workplace. Trainees are provided with satisfactory support, including guidance on employment and progression. Their additional learning needs, however, are not clearly identified through initial assessment. The training centre is well managed but insufficient use is made of data on trainees’ progress in the workplace. The arrangements for quality assurance are

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OCCUPATIONAL AREAS GRADE GENERIC AREAS GRADE Engineering 3 Equal opportunities 3 Trainee support 3 Management of training 3 Quality assurance 4

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KEY STRENGTHS ♦ good engineering foundation training ♦ good links with external groups to promote work-based training opportunities ♦ good employment and progression opportunities for trainees ♦ well-managed off-the-job training ♦ good planning of assessment

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KEY WEAKNESSES ♦ slow progression by some trainees in the workplace ♦ insufficient action to strengthen trainees’ understanding of equal opportunities ♦ no standardised process for trainees’ progress reviews ♦ weak internal verification of work-based assessment in engineering ♦ no formal observation of training I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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 Training Standards Council INTRODUCTION

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1. Midland Group Training Services Limited (MGTS) is a registered charity based in Coventry. MGTS is an engineering group training association with a membership of 175 companies. The board of directors has 12 members, comprising senior executives from member companies and the general manager of MGTS.

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2. MGTS’s premises, close to the centre of Coventry, consist of a two-storey building with a floor area of 3,700 square metres. The technical training centre has 3,000 square metres of floor space for engineering workshops, computing resources, lecture rooms and staff offices. There are 42 training and support staff comprising a general manager, three training managers, an office manager, 10 technical instructors, 16 training and development advisors, seven administrative staff and four caterers and cleaners.

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3. MGTS has a contract with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise (CCTE) to provide work-based training for young people. There are 248 trainees on this contract, comprising 237 engineering trainees, nine business administration trainees and two trainees working towards management and professional qualifications. MGTS also has a contract with Herefordshire and Worcestershire CCTE to provide work-based engineering training for 16 trainees. There were few trainees in the occupational areas of business administration and management and professional and these areas were not inspected. In addition to work-based training for young people MGTS provides a wide range of commercial courses for adult employees of local engineering companies. The courses cover management and supervisory skills, health and safety, quality management, technical skills updating and multiskilling.

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4. The main geographical area of operation for MGTS is the West Midlands. Sixteen per cent of jobs in Coventry and Warwickshire are in engineering manufacturing. The unemployment rate in Coventry, at 3.8 per cent in November 2000, is higher than the national average of 3.3 per cent but close to the average of 3.9 per cent for the West Midlands. At the time of the 1991 census, the proportions of people from minority ethnic groups in the West Midlands, Coventry and Warwickshire were 8.2 per cent, 11.9 per cent and 3.4 per cent respectively.

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5. During 2000, in the Coventry and Warwickshire CCTE area, the proportion of school leavers achieving five or more general certificates of secondary education (GCSEs) at grade C and above was 46 per cent, compared with the national average of 49.2 per cent. In Coventry, this proportion was 41 per cent. In the Coventry and Warwickshire CCTE area, 13 per cent of 16 year olds progress into government-funded training, compared with the national average of 10 per cent. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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 Training Standards Council Coventry and Warwickshire CCTE Herefordshire & Worcestershire CCTE Number of trainees by occupational area Advanced modern apprentices Foundation modern apprentices Other work- based training Advanced modern apprentices Foundation modern apprentices Other work- based training

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Total 207 22 19 16 0 0 I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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 Training Standards Council INSPECTION FINDINGS

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6. In October 1999, MGTS established a working party to produce its first self- assessment report following guidelines in Raising the Standard . The working party comprised the manager responsible for training young people and three training and development advisors. The findings in the draft report were discussed at a general staff meeting in December 1999. Further modifications to the report and action plan were made following a consultation meeting with staff at Coventry and Warwickshire CCTE during January 2000. The findings of the report were updated in August 2000. The revised findings were not discussed with trainees, employers or workplace supervisors. The report contained an introduction to the training services offered by MGTS. It set out clearly the roles and responsibilities of the staff involved in the training of young people. The self-assessment report originally identified 19 strengths in the occupational area. Many of these

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statements were descriptive rather than evaluative. Following the inspection- planning meeting, the number of strengths was reduced to seven. Some of the statements of strengths in the generic areas were unclear.

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7. Four inspectors spent a total of 16 days with MGTS in November 2000. Inspectors interviewed 47 trainees, including three business administration trainees, and made visits to 16 engineering work placements. They met 25 workplace managers, supervisors and mentors. They interviewed five staff at subcontracted colleges and carried out 17 interviews with MGTS’s staff. They looked at 51 trainees’ files, 31 portfolios, contracts, external verifiers’ reports, policies on health and safety and equal opportunities, minutes of meetings, promotional material, initial assessment materials, induction packs, management procedures and quality assurance evidence. Inspectors observed three reviews of trainees’ progress in the workplace. They observed and graded six off-the-job training sessions and observed two assessments of trainees’ performance in the workplace.

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Grades awarded to instruction and assessment sessions

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Engineering Grade 3

8. MGTS has 253 engineering trainees, of whom 217 are advanced modern apprentices. Of the remainder, 18 are foundation modern apprentices and 18 are on other work-based training programmes for young people. All trainees are I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Engineering Grade 3

 Training Standards Council employed and work in a variety of engineering, manufacturing and food- processing companies throughout the West Midlands. Some of these companies operate in areas of advanced technology, including aerospace and automobiles. Over 70 of the member engineering companies are currently involved in work- based training for young people. Trainees work towards national vocational qualifications (NVQs) at foundation level 2 during their first year either in MGTS’s training centre, or in one of two training centres at subcontracted colleges. There are seven first-year trainees on subcontracted foundation programmes and 42 trainees at MGTS’s training centre. Ten appropriately qualified instructors carry out practical training and NVQ assessment in MGTS’s training centre. Advanced modern apprentices complete the mandatory units for the NVQ at level 2 together with some optional units. Advanced modern

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Engineering Grade 3

apprentices who are due to work towards an NVQ in technical services at level 3, undertake a work-based ‘design and make’ project after completing the foundation programme. Foundation modern apprentices complete the mandatory units for the NVQ at level 2 and then begin working towards a vocationally specific NVQ at level 2 in the workplace. Second-year advanced modern apprentices start working towards an NVQ at level 3 in the workplace. Twelve qualified assessors and five internal verifiers employed by MGTS carry out assessment and verification during the workplace training stage of the programmes. Some engineering employers have workplace supervisors who hold assessor qualifications. Trainees attend college courses on day release and these lead to vocational educational qualifications such as national or higher national certificates or other non-NVQ courses in engineering. The self-assessment report identified seven strengths. Inspectors

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Engineering Grade 3

considered four of the strengths to be no more than normal practice and two to be more relevant to generic areas. Inspectors agreed with one strength and identified two additional strengths. Nine weaknesses were identified in the self-assessment report. Inspectors agreed with several of the weaknesses but considered that others were not significant or were more appropriate to generic areas. Inspectors identified additional weaknesses and awarded a lower grade than that given in the self-assessment report.

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Engineering Grade 3

STRENGTHS ♦ good engineering foundation training ♦ good on-the-job training ♦ high retention rate on advanced modern apprenticeship programme

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Engineering Grade 3

WEAKNESSES ♦ delayed and weak assessment of key skills for some trainees ♦ slow progression by some trainees in the workplace ♦ low awareness of appeals process among trainees I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Engineering Grade 3

 Training Standards Council 9. MGTS provides good training on the level 2 engineering foundation programme. MGTS’s training centre is spacious and well maintained and has a wide range of equipment and machine tools. The welding facility is particularly well equipped. The electrical training facility has recently been refurbished. The training centre is sufficiently well equipped to enable a wide range of technically advanced courses to be run there for adult employees of local engineering companies. Trainees at the centre who have completed their engineering foundation units have been encouraged to carry out assignments which lead to the upgrading of facilities. These include sheet metal work for ducting in the welding facility, manufacture of workbenches and wiring in the electrical centre. The training centre has a good range of classrooms and computer training suites, including computer-aided-design facilities. The subcontracted colleges also have

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Engineering Grade 3

good resources for engineering foundation training.

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Engineering Grade 3

10. During level 2 foundation training sessions, instructors use good learning materials. Trainees are supplied with good handouts and reference documents. Instructors place a high emphasis on the importance of observing health and safety regulations during practical sessions. Trainees are enabled to learn and develop skills at their own pace and receive individual attention when required. Assessors carry out assessment by direct observation of the trainees’ performance. They question the trainees skilfully to make sure they understand what they are doing in their tasks. On the foundation programme, the proportion of trainees gaining an NVQ at level 2 has averaged 86 per cent over the past three years.

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Engineering Grade 3

11. MGTS attempts to replicate workplace conditions in the technical training centre. Trainees have to clock in and out and they work a long day. Many employers visit the training centre regularly to find out how the trainees are progressing. Trainees are allocated a training development advisor at the start of their programme, who remains with them throughout their training in the workplace. Advisors develop an effective working relationship with trainees at an early stage and they keep employers informed of trainees’ progress in the training centre.

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Engineering Grade 3

12. Employers provide good training in the workplace. Many employers have a long standing relationship with MGTS and several employers serve as directors of MGTS. Employers come from a wide spectrum of industry including automotive components, electronics, aerospace, food manufacture and transportation. A number of employers are operating in areas of advanced technology and offer trainees excellent opportunities to acquire skills in this area. Trainees follow a training plan, which is updated annually. This aims to ensure that trainees develop all the necessary competencies to enable them to acquire their NVQ. Some trainees were working on projects for the development of automotive components. Other trainees were refurbishing automated packaging equipment. Employers are keen to ensure trainees receive the training they need. They move trainees between departments and from one shift to another to give them a breadth of experience.

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Engineering Grade 3

I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Engineering Grade 3

 Training Standards Council Some engineering employers have workplace supervisors who hold assessors’ qualifications and other supervisors are working towards achieving assessors’ awards. These supervisors have a good knowledge of NVQ requirements and are able to help MGTS’s staff carry out assessments in the workplace.

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Engineering Grade 3

13. The retention rates for advanced modern apprentices are good. Between 1996 and 1999, 229 trainees have started an advanced modern apprenticeship with MGTS. At the time of the inspection, 10 trainees had left after fulfilling all the objectives in their training plan, 160 trainees were still in training, and the overall retention rate was 74 per cent.

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Engineering Grade 3

14. Some trainees are in their third, fourth and fifth year of training but have received little assessment of their key skills. Early in 2000, MGTS launched a series of two-week key skills training and assessment sessions in the technical training centre. Trainees are not shown how to gather evidence of their acquisition of key skills through the performance of everyday tasks in the workplace. In some instances, they carry out key skills exercises in a simulated, rather than real, work context. Since 1999, first-year apprentices have been receiving training and assessment in three key skills. These trainees receive further training in these skills when they progress to the workplace.

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Engineering Grade 3

15. In 1998, 33 trainees started a foundation modern apprenticeship programme with MGTS. Twenty-seven of these trainees have obtained an NVQ at level 2 but only 11 have achieved the requisite key skills certification. Of the 40 trainees who started on programmes of other training for young people in 1997 and 1998, only 15 have achieved all the targets in their individual training plan. Thirteen trainees remain in training, and the other 12 trainees left training before completion of the qualification.

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Engineering Grade 3

16. Some advanced modern apprentices have experienced delays in being registered for their NVQ at level 3 after completing their NVQ at level 2. In a few cases the delay has been up to two years. Trainees have gathered evidence for their portfolios. Their portfolios have not been assessed, however, and they have made slow progress towards achieving their qualification. Some trainees have been advised to gather evidence over several years but they are not assessed until a late stage in their programme. Only 19 of the 68 trainees who started training over four years ago have completed work for an NVQ at level 3. Some portfolios contain a disproportionate amount of witness testimony and in many cases the statements do not comment on the quality of the work done by the trainee. Most portfolios of trainees working towards an NVQ at level 3 are well structured with evidence clearly referenced to the NVQ performance criteria.

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Engineering Grade 3

17. Although trainees are provided with guidance notes which cover the procedure for making appeals against their NVQ assessment, many have insufficient understanding of how the procedure operates. Trainees are required to make any appeal to the internal verifier but most did not know who this was. When they carry out reviews of trainees’ progress, training staff do not check that the trainees understand the appeals procedure. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

18. MGTS has an equal opportunities policy which meets the requirements of the CCTEs and the awarding bodies. The general manager has overall responsibility for the promotion of equal opportunities. The policy was last reviewed and updated in August 2000 as part of the annual review of all policies and procedures. Since January 2000, equal opportunities has been a standing agenda item for the six-weekly ‘focus group’ meetings of staff involved in the training of young people. There are six trainees from minority ethnic communities, representing 2.3 per cent of all trainees. Thirteen trainees are women and five of these are engineering trainees. The self-assessment report identified three strengths and two weaknesses. Inspectors considered one strength to be no more than normal practice, agreed with the other two and found an additional strength. Inspectors agreed with one of the weaknesses and found two more. They awarded the same

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

grade as that given in the self-assessment report.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

STRENGTHS ♦ good links with community groups to widen participation on programmes ♦ systematic analysis of recruitment and selection data ♦ good training for staff on equal opportunities

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

WEAKNESSES ♦ insufficient monitoring of workplace promotion of equal opportunities ♦ failure to raise trainees’ awareness of the importance of equal opportunities ♦ few women and members of minority ethnic groups taking engineering

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

19. During late 1999, concern over the low number of trainees from minority ethnic groups led to the development of an overall strategy to widen participation in work-based training programmes. The general manager established links with leaders of two community centres used mainly by people from minority ethnic groups. On two evenings in March 2000, the general manager gave presentations on work-based learning to members of these community centres. MGTS has been invited to maintain these links by making further presentations to potential trainees and their parents. At such events, MGTS’s staff use promotional materials, provided by the engineering awarding body, which are written in four Asian languages.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

20. MGTS has effective links with local secondary schools and helps a group of pupils on a general national vocational qualification (GNVQ) engineering course. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

 Training Standards Council The six pupils, including one girl and two from minority ethnic groups, undertake 10 days of practical work in MGTS’s training centre. MGTS provides engineering taster days for school pupils. The most recent event, in June 2000, was attended by seven pupils from a local school from which 10 per cent of trainees come. All but two were girls or from minority ethnic groups. MGTS’s staff have good relationships with the careers staff in local schools. Four of the current women trainees have participated, as role models, in local careers events.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

21. During 2000, a monthly analysis of data on applicants for training has been made and reported to the ‘focus group’ meetings. The data relate to the gender, ethnicity and disabilities of applicants interviewed and of applicants accepted. The analysis is now being extended to cover trainees’ performance. Findings from the analysis have been taken into account in action plans for improving the promotion of equal opportunities. Over the four months up to September 2000, approximately 11 per cent of applicants were from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of applicants from minority ethnic groups who completed interviews and initial tests successfully was only 3 per cent.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

22. In 1999, a training manager provided staff with training on equal opportunities. This staff member has relevant qualifications and experience and acts as a valuable point of reference for all staff on equal opportunities issues. The training involved most of the staff who carry out training. The training was comprehensive and covered current legislation, direct and indirect discrimination, victimisation and harassment. In October 2000, the staff training was consolidated during further sessions using a video presenting a series of case studies on equal opportunities issues.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

23. All the learning resources, toilet and catering facilities at MGTS’s training centre are accessible to people using wheelchairs. At the present time, there are no youth trainees with mobility problems. There are nine trainees who periodically suffer from breathing difficulties and two trainees who are dyslexic. Dyslexic trainees receive one-to-one guidance and are allowed additional time to carry out their work.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

24. On recruitment of a trainee, the employers are asked to comply with a service level agreement which requires them to have a written equal opportunities statement. MGTS holds copies of the equal opportunities statements of several engineering employers. Prospective employers who do not have an equal opportunities statement are given guidance on how to produce one by MGTS. There are, however, no systematic arrangements for monitoring the promotion of equal opportunities in the workplace. The form used for recording reviews of trainees’ progress has no section relating to equal opportunities. The questionnaire trainees answer about their experience in the workplace does not refer to equal opportunities. In their discussions with supervisors when visiting employers’ premises, training and development advisors seldom monitor the promotion of equal opportunities in the workplace. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

 Training Standards Council 25. Most trainees could not recall the guidance they had been given by MGTS’s staff on equal opportunities issues. Trainees are also given guidance by employers and several were aware of their rights and responsibilities and of how the complaints and grievance procedures operated. Apart from the equal opportunities statement there are no displays on notice boards in MGTS’s training centre which are aimed at raising the awareness and understanding of trainees.

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Equal opportunities Grade 3

26. Currently, 2.3 per cent of trainees are from minority ethnic groups. According to the 1991 census, 11.9 per cent of the population of Coventry was from minority ethnic groups. As a target for 2001, MGTS aims to recruit 5 per cent of its trainees from minority ethnic groups. The five women trainees in engineering are advanced modern apprentices, and account for 2.3 per cent of all trainees. The national average for the intake of women onto engineering advanced modern apprenticeships is 3 per cent. There were no women among the trainees who started MGTS’s engineering training programmes in 2000.

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Trainee support Grade 3

27. Those who are interested in a career in engineering are encouraged to apply directly to MGTS. Applicants are directed to MGTS by the local careers service. They receive advice at careers fairs or apply to local companies which then refer them to MGTS. All applicants are given mechanical aptitude, numeracy and verbal reasoning tests. These tests are mainly taken at MGTS’s training centre. If trainees live at a distance from MGTS’s training centre, they take the tests at a nearer location, such as a local college or at an employer’s premises. Successful applicants have a short interview with a member of MGTS’s staff a few weeks after the appraisal tests. This interview focuses on personal details and career preferences. Details regarding the individual applicant are then circulated to relevant local employers which have expressed an interest in employing a trainee. They can then interview the applicant. Once a company selects a trainee, training

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Trainee support Grade 3

is undertaken at the technical training centre at MGTS. A few companies prefer trainees to spend between two and five weeks with the company before joining MGTS. The first week of training at MGTS is devoted to an induction programme. The induction covers the procedures for evacuating the training centre and gathering points in the event of fire, training centre rules and regulations, equal opportunities and general health and safety matters. Trainees learn about equal opportunities through the use of case studies and a video. Trainees are issued with protective clothing and undergo a half-day health and safety exercise. They gather evidence through this exercise for their level 2 NVQ portfolios. During the induction period, a training and development advisor is allocated to each trainee. The advisor carries out the trainees progress reviews. On completion of the programme most trainees remain in employment with their sponsoring company.

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Trainee support Grade 3

Inspectors considered some of the strengths identified in the self-assessment report to be no more than normal practice. They agreed with one of the weaknesses but I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Trainee support Grade 3

 Training Standards Council found others more relevant to other areas. Inspectors awarded a grade lower than that given in the self-assessment report.

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Trainee support Grade 3

STRENGTHS ♦ good employment and progression opportunities for trainees ♦ well-structured annual training plans ♦ wide range of support services for trainees

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Trainee support Grade 3

WEAKNESSES ♦ lack of initial assessment to identify trainees’ additional support needs ♦ lack of a standard procedure for trainees’ progress reviews

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Trainee support Grade 3

28. MGTS takes the initial responsibility for the recruitment process. The process works well and trainees are found appropriate employment. All current trainees are employed. Over the past three years, there have been occasions where trainees have been made redundant. MGTS’s staff have extensive knowledge of the local employment market in engineering and were able to arrange for nine redundant trainees from five companies to transfer to other companies so that their training could continue. Trainees are encouraged to work towards additional qualifications. Some trainees undertake advanced level craft courses, others work towards higher national qualifications and a few progress to engineering degree courses. Other qualifications towards which trainees can work include those in supervisory management, use of abrasive wheels and electrical wiring regulations. Several trainees who were recruited as foundation modern

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Trainee support Grade 3

apprentices have progressed onto advanced modern apprenticeships.

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Trainee support Grade 3

29. There are well-structured and detailed plans for off-the-job training at MGTS’s training centre. Trainees carry out set exercises. The structured plans help the training and development advisors to monitor the progress of trainees on the level 2 programme in the centre. Reports on trainees’ progress are sent to employers every 12 weeks. In the workplace there is an effective working relationship between the training and development advisors and workplace supervisors. The advisors usually draw up a plan setting out the objectives the trainee has to fulfil in order to achieve the NVQ. This plan is given to the supervisor or employer and in most cases workplace training plans are then drawn up for the trainee. The plans identify work-based tasks and sections within the company where the trainee will be able to carry these out. The plans are designed to help the trainee to develop the requisite NVQ competencies and to further the

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Trainee support Grade 3

trainee’s career development within the company. The training and development advisors usually visit the trainees in the workplace every month to monitor their progress in implementing their training plans. Some trainees are temporarily returned to the training centre to receive specific training which their company cannot provide but which they need in order to achieve their NVQ. I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Trainee support Grade 3

 Training Standards Council 30. There are two qualified counsellors on the training staff at MGTS. Both have extensive experience. One of the counsellors works mainly in the training centre and helps to identify problems trainees may have at an early stage of their programme. These are brought to the attention of the relevant instructor. Both counsellors also help other staff to deal with trainees’ problems. These problems can relate, for example, to bullying, domestic upheavals involving broken homes, and unplanned pregnancies. Effective links have been established with external organisations such as the probation service, social services and marriage and bereavement counselling agencies.

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Trainee support Grade 3

31. The training centre holds an annual open day to which representatives of local industry and commerce are invited. The occasion is used to celebrate trainees’ success and certificates are presented to successful trainees. In addition, parents and guardians of prospective and first-year trainees review the work undertaken by trainees during level 2 NVQ training and all have the opportunity to see the facilities at the training centre.

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Trainee support Grade 3

32. Prospective trainees are given initial tests but these are used as part of a selection process rather than as a means of identifying trainees’ additional learning needs. In some instances, trainees with dyslexia have been recruited. These trainees are allowed additional time for written tests and have special access to computers in the training centre. The trainees are not referred to specialist support staff.

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Trainee support Grade 3

33. In March 2000, an initial assessment of key skills was piloted with a group of first-year trainees. The test is computerised and was developed by the CCTE. New trainees’ results in the test are recorded. All trainees undergo the same training course in key skills irrespective of the results of the initial tests. Those who have acquired a high level of key skills quickly advance through the course. Other trainees make slow progress. These trainees receive individual attention to enable them to complete the exercises successfully. All entrants to apprenticeship programmes are now assessed in key skills during the first month of their programme.

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Trainee support Grade 3

34. Training and development advisors do not follow a standard procedure when carrying out reviews of trainees’ progress. Progress reviews are carried out every three months. In some instances the trainee’s supervisor is present during the review and can talk with the advisor and the trainee. Some advisors, however, prefer to talk to the supervisor without the trainee being present. Advisors’ records of progress reviews vary in detail. Some specify the targets trainees must achieve. Other advisors merely record what work the trainee has undertaken since the previous progress review and do not include detailed action plans. The documents for recording the progress reviews have boxes for grades denoting the quality of trainees’ work. On some records, no grade is given in the box relating to key skills or the inappropriate comment of ‘not applicable’ is entered.

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Trainee support Grade 3

35. Some advisors provide trainees with more effective support than others. In a few instances, trainees felt they had received little response from their advisors I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Trainee support Grade 3

 Training Standards Council when they had expressed anxiety about their slow rate of progress towards achieving their NVQ, or had made complaints about their college courses. The trainees had subsequently approached another member of staff at MGTS who dealt with the concerns to the trainees’ satisfaction. Several trainees and workplace supervisors stated that the guidance and support provided by different training and development advisors varied from poor to outstanding.

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Management of training Grade 3

36. MGTS’s board of directors meets four times each year and sets strategic objectives for the senior management team to implement. The senior management team, comprising the general manager and the three training managers, meets every month. One training manager has responsibility for the technical training centre and the team of 11 instructors. Another training manager has responsibility for the team of 10 engineering training and development advisors. The third training manager has responsibility for the team of six training and development advisors in non-engineering occupational areas. There are six focus groups which meet with a specific agenda. One of the focus groups is concerned with the engineering training of young people in the workplace. Another focus group is concerned with work in the technical training centre. There is a separate focus group for the training of young people working towards non-engineering

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Management of training Grade 3

qualifications. Staff are allocated to specific groups. The focus groups meet every six weeks. General staff meetings are held every quarter. MGTS has been accredited as an Investor in People since 1996. The self-assessment report identified four strengths and three weaknesses. Inspectors agreed with two of the strengths and one weakness. They considered the other strengths and weaknesses to be more relevant to quality assurance. Inspectors found an additional weakness and awarded a lower grade than that given in the self-assessment report.

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Management of training Grade 3

STRENGTHS ♦ effective strategic management ♦ well-managed off-the-job training ♦ effective staff training programme

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Management of training Grade 3

WEAKNESSES ♦ insufficient use of data on trainees’ progress by managers ♦ insufficient understanding of apprenticeship frameworks by some supervisors

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Management of training Grade 3

37. MGTS provides an extensive range of commercial training for companies in the area. MGTS has developed good resources for trainees on government-funded I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Management of training Grade 3

 Training Standards Council programmes. For example, the training facilities for welding and electrical plant maintenance are particularly good.

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Management of training Grade 3

38. MGTS has a clear management structure and this covers both the commercial and the non-commercial activities of the organisation. The roles of staff responsible for government-funded training programmes are clearly defined within this structure. The organisation has several focus groups and one of these covers youth training in engineering. This group is chaired by the general manager and consists of the training and development advisors and the training manager. It undertakes a range of activities relating to business-planning and regularly reviews all aspects of the management of training. This focus group meets every six weeks and clear minutes are taken. The views of the engineering employers on the management board are presented to the focus group by the general manager of MGTS.

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Management of training Grade 3

39. The first year of the off-the-job training programme in MGTS’s training centre is well planned. The workshop manager, in partnership with other training centre staff, devises the detailed plan. The plan is clearly displayed within the training workshops. The plan divides trainees into groups and shows the training location of each group throughout the level 2 NVQ programme. Each section instructor has clearly identified plans of the activities to be undertaken by trainees during the various stages of training. This is complemented by a detailed assessment schedule. The plan aims to ensure that training is structured and that trainees are able to identify clear evidence of their acquisition of the requisite NVQ competencies. There is good communication between the staff involved with the foundation level 2 programme. For example, in recognition of the trainees’ proficiency in some practical skills, lecturers at the local subcontracted college

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Management of training Grade 3

have reduced the amount of practical work in off-the-job training.

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Management of training Grade 3

40. MGTS has a rigorous recruitment, selection, induction and appraisal process for all staff at the centre. There are clear guidelines for those who interview applicants for jobs which aim to ensure the selection process is fair. Induction for new staff is comprehensive and extends over several weeks. Throughout this induction period, initial training is given where necessary. Staff receive an annual appraisal, at which their training needs are identified. These are taken into account in the staff training plan, which reflects the organisation’s business objectives. Staff can request training at any time, and can, for example, ask to be sponsored on degree programmes. Management staff are appraised every six months. The training and development advisors receive an appraisal every quarter and this covers the extent to which they have facilitated trainees’ progress and achievements. All training staff have received recent training in the teaching and

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Management of training Grade 3

41. A computer-based system for recording trainees’ progression has been developed. The information on trainees’ progression is supplied by the training and development advisors. Management data relating to trainees’ progression are collected to meet contractual requirements but are not used in decision-making. These data are considered at management meetings. Action is not always taken I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Management of training Grade 3

 Training Standards Council systematically to rectify weaknesses the data reveal, such as some trainees’ slow progress towards achieving a qualification. The focus groups draw up action plans for the improvement of training but managers do not always monitor their implementation with sufficient thoroughness. Lines of accountability are sometimes blurred with some members of the organisation having numerous responsibilities and therefore reporting to different line managers. Training and development advisors are required to visit trainees in the workplace every month and carry out trainees’ progress reviews every quarter. Some advisors fail to comply with this requirement fully.

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Management of training Grade 3

42. Many trainees receive help from mentors in the workplace, who ensure that training plans will enable trainees to develop the requisite NVQ competencies. Some trainees, however, do not benefit from such assistance. There are currently five qualified work-based assessors employed in engineering companies within the group. MGTS is currently helping 14 employees, across nine companies, to obtain assessors’ qualifications. MGTS has produced a guidance booklet for workplace mentors and offers training on how to be a mentor. Some of the workplace supervisors have an inadequate understanding of apprenticeship frameworks and the NVQ process. Few supervisors have been involved in teaching and assessing key skills in the workplace. Some supervisors take little part in training in the workplace. They consider it is the responsibility of MGTS’s staff to help trainees achieve their NVQ.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

43. MGTS has held an ISO 9001 since 1992. It is a preferred supplier to the Coventry and Warwickshire CCTE and is an approved assessment centre for six awarding bodies. One of the engineering training and development advisors is given responsibility for co-ordination of quality assurance arrangements in MGTS and reports directly to the general manager. Quality assurance issues are discussed at focus group meetings. The ISO 9001 procedures and work instructions cover recruitment, training and assessment of trainees. Internal audits are performed to check compliance with procedures. The self-assessment report identified six strengths and four weaknesses. Inspectors considered several of the strengths to be no more than normal practice and agreed with one strength and two weaknesses. Inspectors found another strength and three additional weaknesses and awarded a grade lower than that given in the self-assessment report.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

STRENGTHS ♦ well-structured planning of assessment ♦ some good action-planning I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Quality assurance Grade 4

 Training Standards Council WEAKNESSES ♦ no monitoring of training ♦ weak internal verification of work based assessment ♦ insufficient monitoring of subcontractors’ quality assurance procedures ♦ inadequate arrangements for gathering feedback from employers ♦ no formal observation of training

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Quality assurance Grade 4

44. The quality assurance system does not cover the training process adequately. There is insufficient monitoring of off-the-job training provided at MGTS. Training sessions are not formally observed and instructors do not receive any feedback on their performance. There are no arrangements for monitoring the effectiveness of on-the-job training plans or the quality of training provided in the workplace.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

45. MGTS has service level agreements with subcontractors and these are subject to yearly review. Subcontractors, however, do not always provide the quality assurance information required by the agreements, such as the reports of external verifiers. For example, MGTS has no procedures for checking that subcontracted colleges fulfil their obligation to provide business administration apprentices with training and assessment in key skills.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

46. The ISO 9001 system covers a range of activities relating to youth training. Non-compliance with procedures is recorded during audits and corrective action is taken. The accreditation process for ISO 9001 covers a range of procedures including internal verification. During this process, however, evidence relating to subcontractors, or derived from trainees’ progress reviews and CCTE audits, is not taken into account. The quality assurance arrangements do not cover the internal verification process adequately and have not led to the identification of inconsistencies in the way internal verification is carried out.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

47. Internal verification of assessment is not carried out continuously on the training programme leading to an NVQ in engineering at level 3. The assessments in trainees’ portfolios are verified at the end of the programme only. There is no continuous monitoring of the assessment process during the programme. Internal verifiers do not observe assessment in the workplace. Discussion on internal verification issues has taken place at focus group meetings which are attended by some assessors and verifiers. Little action, however, has been taken to improve internal verification. Assessors employed by the engineering companies in the group do not attend the focus group meetings.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

48. With the aim of ensuring that assessment is fair and consistently thorough, MGTS has recently developed a set of assessment plans for the NVQ in engineering at level 3. These cover a range of assessment methods. The plans I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T : M I D L A N D G R O U P T R A I N I N G S E R V I C E S L I M I T E D N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 0

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Quality assurance Grade 4

 Training Standards Council describe the best practice for assessment and internal verification. They include sets of questions for testing trainees’ knowledge.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

49. Findings from the financial and administrative audits which the CCTE carries out are not taken into account during the quality assurance process. There are no systematic arrangements for implementing audit recommendations.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

50. Arrangements for obtaining feedback from employers on youth training are inadequate. Feedback is not obtained in a format which facilitates the systematic identification of issues and trends. At the time of the inspection, arrangements for gathering feedback from employers were being developed. Trainees are asked to complete questionnaires on a quarterly basis. The training managers make a summary of trainees’ responses and present this to staff during focus group meetings. The questions the trainees are asked are insufficiently specific, however, and do not enable them to put forward clear suggestions for improving the quality of training.

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Quality assurance Grade 4

51. The self-assessment report failed to evaluate some aspects of training. Inspectors found both strengths and weaknesses the organisation had failed to identify. The grades they awarded for four of the five areas were lower than those given in the self-assessment report. The self-assessment process has initiated effective action-planning. Action has been taken to improve training in key skills, initial assessment of trainees’ key skills, the promotion of training to groups under- represented on training programmes, and management-information systems. The action plans specify who is responsible for specific actions and the timescales within which these must be completed. The most recent action plan sets out work to rectify many of the weaknesses identified through inspection.

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