JTL

Contents

Background information ......................................................................................................... 3 Inspection judgements........................................................................................................... 3 Scope of the inspection.......................................................................................................... 3 Description of the provider...................................................................................................... 4 Summary of grades awarded .................................................................................................. 5 Overall judgement.................................................................................................................... 6 Effectiveness of provision ..................................................................................................... 6

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Contents

Capacity to improve............................................................................................................ 6 Key strengths ............................................................................................................................ 6 Key areas for improvement..................................................................................................... 6 Main findings............................................................................................................................ 6 Achievement and standards................................................................................................... 6 Quality of provision............................................................................................................... 7 Leadership and management ................................................................................................. 8

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Contents

Equality of opportunity....................................................................................................... 8 What learners like.................................................................................................................. 11 What learners think could improve...................................................................................... 11 Learners’ achievements......................................................................................................... 12

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Inspection judgements

Inspectors use a four-point scale to summarise their judgements about achievement and standards, the quality of provision, and leadership and management, which includes a grade for equality of opportunity .

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Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Satisfactory Grade 4 Inadequate

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Key for inspection grades

Further information can be found on how inspection judgements are made on www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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Scope of the inspection

In deciding the scope of the inspection, inspectors take account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and comments from the local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) or other funding body. Where appropriate, inspectors also consider the previous inspection report ( www.ofsted.gov.uk ), reports from the inspectorates’ quality monitoring or annual assessment visits, and data on learners and their achievements over the period since the previous inspection.

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Scope of the inspection

In addition to reporting on overall effectiveness of the organisation, its capacity to improve further, achievement and standards, quality of provision and leadership and management, this inspection focused on specialist provision in:

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Scope of the inspection

 Construction and the built environment

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Description of the provider

1. JTL is a sector-based training organisation serving the building services engineering industry. It was established in 1990 by the Electrical Contractors Association and Unite the Union as a company limited by guarantee. It became a registered charity in 2000.

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Description of the provider

2. The company’s headoffice is located in Orpington, Kent, where senior management, accounts, corporate services and information technology are based. A national administration centre, located in Wrexham, North Wales, provides support services to field staff. A central claims unit based at Tankersley, South Yorkshire deals with all financial claims to funding bodies. A total of 366 staff includes a senior management team of 10 including the chief executive. JTL operates in 10 geographical areas (including one in Wales), each area having a team of home-based training officers led by a regional manager. The company contracts with 114 colleges and 13 private training providers to provide off-the-job training. The 245 field staff each have responsibility for a number of learners, employers and subcontractors.

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Description of the provider

3. JTL contracts directly with the National Employers Service for the whole of England. It also has a local contract with the LSC in the North West for plumbing provision. There are approximately 11,500 learners in total of which approximately 1,500 are following plumbing and mechanical engineering services programmes. In Wales, JTL contracts directly with the North West region of the Welsh Assembly Government, having a single contract which covers all four regions of Wales (South East, South West, Mid and North). The provision in Wales will be inspected by Estyn.

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Summary of grades awarded

Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

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Summary of grades awarded

Capacity to improve Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Summary of grades awarded

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Sector subject area

Construction and the built environment Good: Grade 2

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Good: Grade 2

4. The overall effectiveness of the provision is good. Achievement and standards and the quality of provision are good. Leadership and management and the arrangements for equal opportunities are also good, as is provision in construction and the built environment.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

5. JTL has demonstrated satisfactory capacity to improve. The provider has had some success in improving the very poor success rates on plumbing programmes. Appropriate and effective actions to bring about improvements in plumbing have been carried out within realistic timescales. Work continues and further appropriate actions are ongoing and contributing to reducing the number of learners leaving programmes early without success.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

6. The self-assessment process is weak and does not take sufficient account of the views of field staff and operational managers in formulating judgements. The use of data in the report is ineffective. The report is not effectively validated. Success rates on electrotechnical programmes, although good overall, have fluctuated over the last three years with no pattern of continuous improvement.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

7. The quality of reviews was a weakness at the previous inspection and the quality of target- setting in reviews remains a key area for improvement.

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Key strengths

 High electrotechnical success rates  Well-planned and co-ordinated training  Very good support for learners  Good management of training and assessment processes  Productive partnerships with industry and within the sector  Good use of resources to develop the provision  Good partnership working with subcontractors

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Key areas for improvement

 Low plumbing success rates  Ineffective target-setting at reviews  Ineffective self-assessment  Insufficient development of clear safeguarding arrangements

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Good: Grade 2

8. Overall success rates for apprentices on electrotechnical programmes are good. Validated data from the provider performance report show overall success rates on these programmes of 78%, 71% and 72% over the last three years which are significantly above national averages. Overall success rates on all advanced apprenticeships are also good but have declined year on year, although this has not been recognised in the self-assessment report. Timely success rates are low and overall success rates on plumbing programmes are particularly low. JTL recognises this and has taken action to bring about improvements. Overall success rates on these programmes have improved significantly and fewer learners are leaving their programmes early.

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Good: Grade 2

9. JTL analyses the performance of different groups of learners and the analysis shows that there are no significant differences in performance between male and female learners or between learners from minority ethnic backgrounds.

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Good: Grade 2

10. The standard of learners’ written work and development of skills are good. Most learners develop new and useful skills, improve their self-confidence, work hard to achieve and enjoy their work.

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Good: Grade 2

11. The quality of provision is good as identified in the self-assessment report. Training is well planned and co-ordinated. Employers provide good training for learners in the workplace and move them around to various activities to help them develop a wide range of skills. Most companies have nominated skilled employees who are trained to provide good coaching and support for their learners. On- and off-the-job training and assessment is well co-ordinated and most employers have sufficient knowledge of the schemes to liaise with off-the-job training providers and plan appropriate training for the learners. However, in a small number of cases supervisors did not have a sufficiently thorough knowledge of NVQ requirements. They were unaware of the requirements of the NVQ and were unable to effectively plan work to meet the needs of learners’ training.

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Good: Grade 2

12. Resources at JTL’s training centre located in Malton, Yorkshire are good. The centre is well equipped with a diverse range of equipment and ample training bays. Workshop facilities provide good up-to-date industrial standard resources. JTL has produced good support materials for learners and providers, such as textbooks, log books, and portfolio templates.

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Good: Grade 2

13. Assessment is fair, accurate and overall is satisfactory. However, awarding body guidance for electrical installation contains conflicting information about when direct observation of learners should take place. Assessors’ interpretation of guidance is inconsistent and has resulted in many learners not receiving any assessment by direct observation of their work in the first two years of their training. JTL’s documentation for Level 2 plumbing also precludes assessment in the first year and changes are being made to allow assessment of health and safety and basic tool skills operations to be assessed earlier. JTL has identified the problem and is taking steps to change the guidance and arrangements.

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Good: Grade 2

14. Target-setting at reviews is poor. Workplace supervisors and employers are not always involved in setting targets. Most targets are insufficiently challenging to drive learner progression towards achievement. The quality of the review process was a key weakness at the previous inspection.

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Good: Grade 2

15. There are very effective partnerships to meet the needs of learners. Good contact with employers ensures a wide range of good opportunities for on-the-job training to benefit the learners. For example, the provider has developed a programme with a major regional media employer to meet its demand for a qualified workforce. This is a specialist work environment and provides a unique employment opportunity for young people. JTL has a very flexible pre-entry recruitment and selection process that enables employers to plan their recruitment to meet their organisational needs. Learners participate in a number of activities that enrich their learning experience. For example, learners in the North East take part in inter-college five-a-side football tournaments. Another project involves learners in outward bound activities which help to develop personal skills and lead to the achievement of key skill units.

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Good: Grade 2

16. The quality of information, advice and guidance is good. Applicants receive relevant and up-to-date information on their intended programme of study and are subjected to a good initial assessment process that determines their suitability for the training and identifies any additional support needed.

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Good: Grade 2

17. There is very good support for learners from JTL staff, employers and subcontractors. JTL staff provide particularly effective personal support for learners who are highly complimentary about the support they receive. JTL staff maintain effective contact with their learners by frequent visits, both formal and informal, to the workplace and the off- the-job training centre. Learners are able to raise and discuss personal issues with their training officers who react quickly and effectively to learner issues and grievances both within the training centre and employer environments. Inspectors noted numerous examples of very good support including assistance in finding alternative employment for learners who are made redundant, payment of extra travel expenses when learners had to transfer to another training centre and flexible attendance arrangements for learners who had fallen behind with their work.

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Good: Grade 2

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Good: Grade 2

18. The management of training and assessment is good. This was a strength at the previous inspection and has been maintained and improved. At the previous inspection, JTL’s intranet was used well to support the management of training. The system has since been developed and JTL continues to make effective use of their electronic systems to provide easy access to a wide range of documents to support training officers, including company documents, guidance notes and training materials. Comprehensive and detailed management information about the performance of teams, training officers and individual learners is still used to manage the activities of the company effectively. The management of literacy and numeracy is satisfactory. Appropriate progress is being made in improving the achievement of key skills by learners. 19. The use of resources to develop the provision is good. Since the previous inspection, JTL

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Good: Grade 2

has made a significant investment in staff and infrastructure. Strategic planning is well supported by good market intelligence. There is a clear focus on the learner’s journey towards qualification in developing support for apprentices and employers. New, well- designed marketing materials show a thoughtful inclusive approach to informing potential learners and employers. JTL’s new lively website offers a wide range of news and information which can be adapted to regional needs. Training and support staff are experienced and suitably qualified in most cases. Staff development is satisfactory with a range of appropriate activities delivered throughout the regions which are well-matched to business need.

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Good: Grade 2

20. JTL has productive partnerships within the industry and within the sector. There are very effective partnerships to meet the needs of learners and employers. At the previous inspection, it was recognised that JTL was particularly influential in the sector and made a significant contribution to training and the industry. Despite significant changes within the organisation, JTL retains its influence and continues to make a positive contribution. Members of the JTL board of trustees are well-informed and provide a wide range of experience and knowledge of the construction-related industries.

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Good: Grade 2

21. Partnership working with subcontractors is very good. At the previous inspection, management of subcontractors was good. Since then the relationship has developed and JTL now works with its subcontractors to monitor and improve the quality of the training they provide. The quality assurance of subcontractors remains particularly effective.

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Good: Grade 2

22. The promotion of equality of opportunity and diversity is good. Since the previous inspection, JTL has worked hard to refine its approach to promoting learning to under- represented groups. Useful partnerships have been developed with the ‘black enterprise group’ in London and the ‘women into science and engineering’ group. 23. In newspaper and web-based promotional material, good use is made of images and case studies which challenge stereotyping. The proportion of female and minority ethnic learners remains low, but numbers have increased in line with the growth in provision. JTL’s approach to tackling bullying and harassment is robust at all levels. Managers and the board of trustees receive timely reports on any incidents reported. JTL’s equality of opportunity officer effectively supports the rigorous investigation and resolution of complaints. JTL’s policies on equality of opportunity are presented with insufficient

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Good: Grade 2

clarity in published documents. Learners’ understanding of equality of opportunity matters is insufficient in some regions.

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Good: Grade 2

24. Self-assessment is poor. While aspects of JTL’s performance are suitably reviewed as part of the business planning cycle, insufficient consideration is given to reviewing the learner’s experience. The latest self-assessment report, published in February 2008, is too descriptive and omits effective assessment of, for instance, teaching and learning or the support and protection of learners. There is insufficient reference to data to inform self- assessment and in some cases, data included in the report was refuted by JTL during the inspection. The quality development plan lacks sufficient clarity in identifying actions for improvement. In a few cases, weaknesses identified at the previous inspection are still to be resolved.

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Good: Grade 2

25. There is insufficient development of clear safeguarding arrangements. The procedures for safeguarding learners at JTL meet current government requirements. However, JTL has insufficient arrangements in place to secure a whole organisation approach to safeguarding. For example, there are no effective partnerships at local or national levels, accountabilities within the organisation for safeguarding are unclear, rights and values are not established through organisational policy and procedure and there has not been sufficient training or awareness training on safeguarding in general.

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What learners like :

 'Very helpful and supportive staff'  'I like the practical training'  'As a woman, it's great to be treated like the rest'  'The block release sessions'  'Earning a wage while I train'  'JTL staff are great at sorting out problems'

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What learners think could improve :

 'Reduce the big gaps between blocks'  'Should not be doing key skills when I already have them'  'Poor healthy eating options at college'

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Learners’ achievements

Success rates on work-based learning ‘apprenticeship’ programmes managed by JTL 2004 to 2006

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Learners’ achievements

Programme End Year Success rate No. of learners* Provider/ NVQ rate ** National NVQ rate** Provider framework rate** National framework rate** overall 2075 79 48 76 34 04-05 timely 2106 40 31 38 22 overall 2482 72 53 67 44 05-06 timely 2946 25 34 22 27 overall 1929 67 64 65 58 Advanced Apprenticeships

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Learners’ achievements

06-07 timely 2555 8 43 8 37 overall 3 0 N/a N/a 39 04-05 timely 0 N/a N/a N/a N/a Apprenticeships

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Learners’ achievements

* Learners who leave later than originally planned are counted in the year they actually leave. This group of learners are then added to the learners who planned to complete in a given year and did so or left earlier than planned ** Provider and national qualification success rates are calculated using LSC published data derived from the ‘Individual Learning Record’

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Learners’ achievements

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