Setting

19 March 2003

Inspectors use a seven-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of learning sessions. The descriptors for the seven grades are: • grade 1 - excellent • grade 2 - very good • grade 3 - good • grade 4 - satisfactory • grade 5 - unsatisfactory • grade 6 - poor • grade 7 - very poor.

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19 March 2003

Inspectors use a five-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of provision in occupational/curriculum areas. The same scale is used to describe the quality of leadership and management, which includes quality assurance and equality of opportunity. The descriptors for the five grades are: • grade 1 - outstanding • grade 2 - good • grade 3 - satisfactory • grade 4 - unsatisfactory • grade 5 - very weak.

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19 March 2003

The two grading scales relate to each other as follows:

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SEVEN-POINT SCALE FIVE-POINT SCALE

grade 1 grade 2 grade 3 grade 4 grade 5 grade 6 grade 7 grade 2 grade 3 grade 4

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) was established under the provisions of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 to bring the inspection of all aspects of adult learning and work-based training within the remit of a single inspectorate. The ALI is responsible for inspecting a wide range of government-funded learning, including:

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

Inspections are carried out in accordance with the by teams of full-time inspectors and part-time associate inspectors who have knowledge of, and experience in, the work which they inspect. All providers are invited to nominate a senior member of their staff to participate in the inspection as a team member. Common Inspection Framework • work-based training for all people over 16 • provision in further education colleges for people aged 19 and over • the University for Industry’s provision • Adult and Community Learning • learning and job preparation programmes funded by Jobcentre Plus • education and training in prisons, at the invitation of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.

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SUMMARY

MARTEC Training is a private training provider based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. It has one training centre which is also its head office. MARTEC Training provides work-based learning programmes for young people, a Life Skills programme and New Deal learning programmes. There are currently 119 learners, of whom 25 are foundation modern apprentices on engineering, business administration, and retailing and customer service learning programmes, 51 are following national vocational qualifications (NVQs) in engineering and retailing and customer service, and 43 learners are on the Life Skills programme. There is one New Deal client on a learning programme in retailing. Most learners work in the motor vehicle industry. MARTEC Training has a general manager who leads a team of 17 staff. Training and assessment are carried out by MARTEC Training in the workplace and at the head office. All Life Skills training is carried out at the head

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SUMMARY

The ALI’s inspection in April 2002 found that the training for learners on engineering and foundation programmes was satisfactory. However the training in retailing and customer service was unsatisfactory. The leadership and management of the organisation was also satisfactory, as were the arrangements for equality of opportunity and quality assurance. At the end of reinspection all aspects of the provision were found to be satisfactory.

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Grades awarded

4 Retailing, customer service & transportation 3 Original Reinspection

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Grades awarded

Contributory grades: Work-based learning for young people 4 None 3

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Grades awarded

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 1 MARTEC TRAINING REINSPECTION

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THE REINSPECTION

1. Reinspection was carried out in March 2003. A total of four inspection days was used. MARTEC Training had prepared a revised self-assessment report for inspectors to examine. All seven of the current retailing and customer service learners were interviewed and two who had recently completed. Visits were made to nine workplaces and all available staff were interviewed.

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THE REINSPECTION

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 7 Total Grades awarded to learning sessions at the original inspection

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THE REINSPECTION

Grade 5 Grade 6 Engineering, technology & manufacturing 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 0

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THE REINSPECTION

Foundation programmes 0 0 0 4 0 4 0 0 Total 0 0 1 6 0 7 0 0

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THE REINSPECTION

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 2 MARTEC TRAINING REINSPECTION

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Retailing, customer service & transportation Grade 3

Programmes inspected Number of learners Contributory grade 3 7 Work-based learning for young people

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Retailing, customer service & transportation Grade 3

3. There is good learning and progression at work. Learners are all in work placements, most with local garages or car sales outlets. All are confident in their job roles and are fully involved in the business operations. Many have had increased responsibility or promotion at work. Since 1998, 69 per cent of learners have gained jobs. In the past three years, 79 per cent of learners have gained jobs, often with their work-placement provider. The progression rate into jobs has improved since the last inspection. One learner who started the Life Skills programme with poor self-confidence progressed to NVQ training and is now following a foundation modern apprenticeship in retail 2. There are seven learners on work-based learning programmes in retailing and customer service, three of whom are foundation modern apprentices. The other four are on NVQ training programmes, three of whom have additional learning needs. Two

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Retailing, customer service & transportation Grade 3

learners are taking NVQs at level 1, the remaining five are at level 2. Six of the learners are working towards retailing qualifications. One learner is working towards an NVQ at level 2 in customer care.

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STRENGTHS

• good progression and learning at work • good use of a wide range of assessment methods • very effective individual support

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WEAKNESSES

• poor modern apprenticeship framework achievement • weak progress reviews • poor planning and recording of literacy and numeracy skills support

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• better reinforcement of complaints and appeals procedure • more systematic internal verification sampling

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 3 MARTEC TRAINING REINSPECTION

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

operations. His employer is now considering him for a management role. Another learner was employed by his work placement at the end of the learning programme and is now managing the parts department at an outlet for an international car retailer.

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

4. Assessment visits are more frequent since the last inspection. MARTEC Training’s staff visit learners at their work placement every four weeks to plan and carry out assessments. Since the last inspection, MARTEC Training has introduced assessment visits that include key skills and monthly portfolio-building workshops at the training centre. NVQ unit completion rates have improved. Working relationships with learners and employers are good. Senior staff visit employers and learners as part of the quality assurance procedures. Views of employers and learners are collected and relevant actions are taken promptly.

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

5. A wide range of assessment methods is used to assess learners’ work, at work and at the training centre, a strength identified in both the self-assessment report and recent external verifier reports. Learners can use a CD-ROM to develop their health and safety knowledge, which includes an assessment. Many learners are able to recall knowledge learned using this system. Assessors use a digital camera to capture evidence for learners’ portfolios while they are at work. Photographic evidence is accompanied by short descriptions by learners. A digital voice recorder has been used with one learner with poor writing skills.

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

6. Individual learner support is very effective. Learners have good working relationships with their assessor. All learners are able to contact their assessor quickly for help or if there are any problems. However, learners do not fully understand the appeals and complaints procedure. Visits to learners in the workplace are frequent, and in addition, some learners also visit MARTEC Training’s training centre for help with referencing work produced for their NVQ. Employers provide good learner support. For example, one employer helped a learner produce evidence for their portfolio by scanning in some photographs at home. Learners are motivated and enjoy their work placements. Retention of learners on the NVQ programmes is good. Since 2000-01, 75 per cent of learners have remained in learning.

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

7. Achievement rates are poor for foundation modern apprentices. There has been only one framework achievement since 1998-99. Five learners have completed an NVQ. MARTEC Training has made significant changes to the learning programme to improve progress. Assessment is now more frequent and a wide range of methods is used to collect evidence. The three learners currently following the foundation modern apprenticeship programme are making satisfactory progress towards completion of the NVQ and have completed part of the key skills qualification. A substantial number of NVQ units are now complete and much evidence has been collected for other units. Retention rates have improved and are now satisfactory. Learners, however, have a poor understanding of the key skills requirements and are unclear how and when they will achieve their key skills. Learners do not fully understand their progress as all

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

assessment paperwork is kept by staff at the training centre. This was identified in The self- assessment report. Achievement rates for those on NVQ training programmes is

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 4 MARTEC TRAINING REINSPECTION

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

improving and the four current learners are making satisfactory progress. Of the nine learners who started NVQs in 2001-02, six have completed their time on the learning programme, two have achieved the NVQ and four remain in learning. Progression into jobs is good and improving.

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

8. Progress reviews are weak. The setting of short- and long-term targets is poor. Individual learning plans are completed at the start of the learning programmes. Targets for NVQ unit completion are completed but many learners do not achieve them and the dates are amended. Some learners do not know what qualification they are working towards or at what stage they are at. Assessors carry out progress reviews in the workplace every 12 weeks. The assessor carries out action plans on each visit. Targets on action plans are inadequate and not broken down into small steps. Learners do not know what they have achieved or what they need to do next. Many learners do not understand the review process. Most progress reviews only include feedback from the employer as a separate process rather than as part of the meeting. Employers are not always involved in discussions about learners’ progress and target-setting. MARTEC

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

Training has recently improved the review process and the form used for recording, but it is not yet in full use. Some assessments are not planned effectively to include observation of a full range of learners’ workplace activities. Some observations repeatedly cover the same activity. Employers are not always involved in the planning of observations.

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

9. There is poor planning and recording of literacy and numeracy skills support. Of the seven current learners, three are identified as having additional literacy and/or numeracy needs. These needs are identified through a basic test for literacy and numeracy skills. Individual learning plans give test results only in general terms and do not detail specific needs to enable a detailed individual learning plan to be developed. Support is given by the tutor/assessor, who is not qualified to provide literacy and numeracy support. The support focuses around correcting portfolios rather than improving the learners’ skills.

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OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

10. The internal verification of portfolios of evidence is not systematically planned. All portfolios are sampled but this is only carried out when a full NVQ unit has been achieved. The internal verifier does not always know which portfolios will be presented for sampling each month. Learners who are progressing slowly do not have an early check on the standards of assessment carried out on their work.

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