Nelson and Colne College Training Services - Ofsted · Nelson and Colne College Training Services...

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

I N S P E C T I O N R E P O R T M A Y 2 0 0 0

Nelson and Colne College Training Services

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

Training Standards Council

SUMMARY

Nelson and Colne College Training Services provides well-planned on-the-jobtraining in business administration. In hospitality and hairdressing programmes,trainees receive little work-based assessment and both retention and achievementrates are low. In sport and recreation programmes, both training and assessmentare poor. The provider successfully recruits trainees from minority ethnic groups inthe area. Most trainees are in good placements which meet their individual needs.Staff make regular visits to trainees at work and give them good pastoral support.During their visits, however, they do not help trainees identify the extent of theirprogress towards achieving their awards. No modern apprentices or nationaltrainees in hospitality, hair and sport have yet carried out their individual trainingplan in full. Training plans are not tailored to meet individual needs and some donot meet the respective framework requirements. Internal verification has failed toidentify problems with assessment. Management of training is inadequate and thetrainees’ learning experience is not properly co-ordinated or monitored. Qualityassurance arrangements meet contractual requirements but do not focus ontraining and assessment or lead to their improvement.

GRADES

OCCUPATIONAL AREAS GRADE GENERIC AREAS GRADE

Business administration 3 Equal opportunities 3

Leisure, sport & travel 5 Trainee support 4

Hospitality 4 Management of training 4

Hair & beauty 4 Quality assurance 5

KEY STRENGTHS

♦ well-structured off-the-job training in business administration♦ good work placements♦ good on-the-job training in hairdressing♦ successful promotion of equal opportunities♦ good pastoral support

KEY WEAKNESSES

♦ trainees’ low retention and achievement rates♦ poor assessment practice♦ poor initial assessment♦ failure of training plans to reflect individual trainees’ needs♦ weak subcontracting arrangements♦ no structured co-ordination of on- and off-the-job training♦ insufficiently rigorous monitoring of the effectiveness of training♦ insufficient analysis of data in the planning of continuous improvement♦ inadequate internal verification process



INTRODUCTION

1. Nelson and Colne College Training Services (CTS) is part of the employersupport unit of Nelson and Colne College. CTS was inspected as part of a jointinspection by the Training Standards Council (TSC) and the Further EducationFunding Council (FEFC).

2. CTS is based in Colne in Lancashire and serves the local area. CTS has heldcontracts with East Lancashire Training and Enterprise Council (ELTEC) since1991. Currently it holds contracts for modern apprenticeship, national traineeshipand other youth training programmes. Training is offered in manufacturing,business administration, sport and recreation, hospitality, hairdressing andfoundation for work. There are currently 109 trainees on TEC-funded programmes.

3. The operational manager’s post is currently vacant. In the meantime, CTS isbeing managed by the business services divisional manager and the CTSadministration co-ordinator. They are supported by three programme leaders, whoare responsible for the training and assessment programmes, eighttrainer/assessors, one trainee placement and recruitment officer and twoadministration officers. All CTS staff are employed by Nelson and Colne College.CTS sub-contracts most training and assessment to Nelson and Colne College.Some training and assessment are subcontracted to another local college and oneprivate training provider.

4. In 1999, the percentage of school leavers achieving five or more generalcertificates of secondary education (GCSEs) at grade C and above in the EastLancashire TEC area was low at 42.6 per cent. The national average for the yearwas 47.9 per cent. The unemployment rate in Pendle in February 2000 was 4.7 percent which is, above the national average of 4 per cent. In the same period, thepercentage of unemployed people aged between 18 to 24 in Pendle was 32 percent, compared with the national rate of 24.7 per cent. These proportions havefallen slightly since February 1999 when that for Pendle was 34.3 per cent,compared with the national average of 24.3 per cent. According to the 1991census, minority ethnic groups make up 10.3 per cent of the local population.



INSPECTION FINDINGS

5. CTS produced its first self-assessment report in 1998. The self-assessmentreport prepared for the TSC inspection was produced at the same time as thecollege’s annual self-assessment report and inspection by the FEFC. The finaldraft of the report was produced in March 2000 by the business services managerand administration co-ordinator. The main source of evidence used for the self-assessment report was a 1999 ELTEC survey. CTS staff were encouraged toparticipate in producing the self-assessment report and their comments andfeedback were used in compiling the final draft. There was an internal validationevent which involved staff, representatives from ELTEC and employers. In allareas, inspectors awarded grades lower than those given in the self-assessmentreport.

6. A team of six inspectors spent a total of 24 days at CTS in May 2000.Inspectors visited 33 workplaces and interviewed 57 trainees, 27 employers andsupervisors, 10 CTS staff and 12 college staff. They looked at a wide range ofdocuments, including trainees’ portfolios and files, individual training plans,training materials, assessment records and assessment documents, college policiesand procedures, internal and external verifiers’ reports, TEC reviews, minutes ofstaff meetings and personnel records. Inspectors observed five training sessions inbusiness administration and hairdressing.

Grades awarded to instruction sessions

GRADE 1 GRADE 2 GRADE 3 GRADE 4 GRADE 5 TOTAL

Total 2 2 1 5

OCCUPATIONAL AREAS

Business administration Grade 3

7. CTS offers modern apprenticeships and national traineeships in businessadministration. There are currently 60 trainees. Thirty-nine are modern apprenticesworking towards national vocational qualifications (NVQs) at levels 2 and 3.Eighteen are national trainees, working towards NVQ level 2. A further threetrainees are working towards NVQ level 1. Most modern apprentices are recruiteddirectly by employers and are in full-time employment prior to starting theirprogramme. Some receive help with job search from the CTS placement officer.Six national trainees are in full-time employment and a further eight are in workplacements found by CTS. During recruitment, trainees are interviewed, their pastrecord of work is considered and they complete an aptitude test. If they start inSeptember, trainees receive an induction to their programme in college. Inductionis arranged in the workplace at other times of the year. Trainees attend college on aday-release basis. College training is designed to help trainees to develop



occupational skills, acquire theoretical knowledge and improve their key skills.Over one third of trainees are employed in various departments of the localcouncil’s offices. Others are employed by accountants, solicitors and warehousingbusinesses. Assessors visit trainees in the workplace every two to three weeks fortutorial guidance and action planning. Meetings involving a trainee, supervisor,and assessor are carried out at work every 13 weeks to review individual trainees’progress. Trainees make good progress through the NVQ levels, and someprogress to higher level courses. Of a group of 16 modern apprentices that left in1996-97, four have progressed to courses leading to higher national certificates(HNCs) in administration or in accounting. Three out of 12 trainees similarlyprogressed in 1997-98. The number of early leavers has decreased over the lastthree years. On modern apprenticeship programmes, the number of early leavershas decreased from 40 per cent in 1997-98 to 23 per cent for 1998-99 and to 22 percent in 1999-2000. The number of early leavers on national traineeshipprogrammes has decreased from 54 per cent in 1998-99 to 19 per cent in 1999-2000. Inspectors agreed with only one of the 10 strengths identified in the self-assessment report. They considered six to be no more than normal practice.Inspectors awarded a grade lower than that given in the self-assessment report.

STRENGTHS♦ effective action planning to help trainees progress♦ well structured off-the-job training

WEAKNESSES♦ failure to tailor training to individual needs

8. All trainees receive tutorial visits from their assessor every two to three weeksat work. During these visits, an action plan for collecting portfolio evidence isagreed between the assessor and trainee. Theory training is given as required. Theevidence of NVQ competencies trainees gather is assessed and feedback is given.The action plan records progress made to date and sets measurable targets for thetrainee to complete before the next visit. Trainees value the action planningprocess as a useful method to keep them on track. The regular one-to-one tutorialsallow trainees to develop a particularly good understanding of their programmeand how their evidence will be assessed. Trainees are assessed regularly byobservation of their normal work activity during the assessors’ visits. Assessmentby observation is particularly useful for those trainees who are making slowprogress in generating documentary evidence. Trainees know how to appealagainst assessment decisions if disagreements arise. To date, no appeals have beenmade. Internal verification involving regular sampling of portfolio evidence andobservation of assessors’ performance has recently been introduced. Workplacevisits give assessors the opportunity to keep employers informed about theirtrainees’ progress. However, some progress reviews are missing from trainees’files.



9. All trainees attend college on a day-release basis. Modern apprentices andnational trainees attend workshops that aim to develop occupational skills andstrengthen trainees’ understanding of essential theory. Training and assessment ofkey skills are integral to occupational training at both levels 2 and 3.Communication skills are taught and developed through role play. Trainees thenpractise these in tasks involving telephone research and event planning. Traineesare given assignments that aim to help them develop key skills as well as NVQcompetencies. Trainers and assessors hold meetings three times a year to reviewand revise off-the-job training, and if necessary, develop new assignment. Thetrainers carry out assessment for key skills but not for NVQ in businessadministration. At work, and at college through assignments, trainees gatherevidence of their attainments in key skills, together with evidence of their NVQcompetencies.

10. Individual needs are not taken into account when preparing trainees’individual training plans. The modern apprenticeship and national traineeshipincludes core NVQ units and optional units, and to complete the framework afurther two units or qualifications must be achieved. Training programmes are notadapted to reflect the nature of the trainees’ work or the needs of employers.Trainees are given no choice of units. For the national trainees, ‘Contribute to theArrangement of Events’, is set as their optional unit. For modern apprentices‘Prepare, Produce and Present Documents’ is set as their optional unit. All modernapprentices work towards application of number at level 3. They also take thereunits of a general national vocational qualification (GNVQ) at advanced level, inmarketing, human resources and business planning. A combination of two of theseunits meets the requirements of the modern apprenticeship framework. All modernapprentices, however, are expected to complete all three units, regardless of theirability or experience.

Leisure, sport & travel Grade 5

11. There are eight modern apprentices working towards NVQs at level 2 and 3 insport and recreation and one national trainee working towards NVQ level 2.Trainees are recruited directly from the workplace and all have employed status.Employment is provided in local authority sports centres, swimming pools, privateleisure facilities and at a football club. Trainees receive all their training andassessment at work. A member of CTS staff visits the trainees at work fortnightly,to provide training, assessment and portfolio building sessions. Some on-the-jobtraining is subcontracted to a private training provider, but this arrangement isunder review. CTS does not offer training leading to any additional qualifications.Some trainees, however, undertake training funded by their employer to gainqualifications for the work they are doing. Since 1996-97, no modern apprentice ornational trainee has carried out his or her individual training plan to the full. In1996-97, 31 per cent of modern apprentices achieved an NVQ at level 2 and 19 percent achieved an NVQ at level 3. In 1997-98, no NVQs were achieved. In 1998-99,

POOR PRACTICEAll national trainees take aunit for which they have toplan an event. Theexercise is valuable forteam building. However, itis the only source ofevidence used for the unit.The assessmentrequirement to gatherevidence in the workplaceover a period of time isnot being met.



7 per cent of modern apprentices achieved an NVQ at level 2 and 14 per cent anNVQ at level 3. In 1996-97, all trainees and modern apprentices left theirprogramme early. In 1998-99, their retention rate was 50 per cent. Inspectorsconsidered that some of the strengths stated in the self-assessment report were nomore than good practice and they did not agree with others. They agreed withthose weaknesses stated in the self-assessment report, but found additional ones.They awarded a grade lower than that given by the organisation.

STRENGTHS

♦ good work placements

WEAKNESSES

♦ poor understanding of the frameworks by all involved in training♦ unstructured work-based training♦ no targets in trainees’ action plans♦ no implementation of key skills training♦ missed opportunities for workplace assessment♦ inappropriate target qualifications for some trainees♦ poor retention and achievement rates♦ insufficient and inadequate reviews of trainees’ progress

12. A wide range of placements, representative of the industry, is available totrainees. All placements have good resources and equipment. At the placements,the management structures are clear and the trainees have a good understanding oftheir job role. Some placements, however, have particular specialist facilities.Trainees at these placements have jobs that do not enable them to developcompetencies across the full range required for their NVQ. Some of these traineesmake slow progress towards achieving their NVQ. CTS staff visit traineesfrequently at work to carry out assessments and to review their progress towardsachieving the NVQ. When they visit the trainers provide trainees with effectivepastoral support.

13. Trainees and CTS staff have a poor understanding of the modern apprenticeand national trainee frameworks. Emphasis is given to the importance of achievingthe NVQ. Only recently has the required training in key skills been introduced.Trainees are told little about the additional industry-specific qualifications, whichthey need to obtain to complete their framework. Publicity material issued as aguide to employers and trainees contains incorrect information. It does not statethat qualifications in first aid, pool maintenance, life saving and coaching areregarded as industry specific. Trainees receive little formal training at work.Although some training does take place it is unplanned, and only occurs



incidentally as new tasks arise. One employer has a company training plan, whichis produced for a chain of private fitness centres but the trainee’s individualtraining plans are not related to this. The plan makes little reference to the NVQprocess and does not provide guidance on how trainees may gather evidence oftheir competencies in the workplace.

14. Although trainees receive frequent and regular visits from CTS staff theirprogress towards achievement of their qualification is slow. An action plan isdrawn up at each visit but it is not detailed and does not set specific targets. Thereis little incentive for trainees to complete the set tasks. Assessment can be delayedfor long periods. Several trainees have been on their training programme for over12 months and have completed only one or two units of their qualification. Keyskills training has only recently been introduced to trainees. Some modernapprentices who are midway through their training programme are unaware of thekey skills requirements. Others are completing key skills training after obtainingtheir NVQ. Opportunities for assessment of key skills at work are not clearlyidentified.

15. There are no work-based assessors. Trainees rely on the visits from CTS stafffor assessment. Although CTS staff visit frequently and arrange assessmentflexibly to correspond with trainees’ shift patterns, naturally occurringopportunities for assessment are missed. Trainees’ portfolios lack a diversity ofevidence. The internal verifier and external verifiers have commented on this butlittle has been done about it. Documents are often incomplete and in someportfolios, evidence does not cover the required range of competencies for theNVQ. The internal verifier is not occupationally qualified and has been requestedby the external verifier to gain some vocationally relevant experience.

16. Employers are unclear about their role and responsibility within the trainingprogramme. They are not involved in planning training or monitoring trainees’progress. They are often unaware of what training is required to assist progress.Many employers are not familiar with NVQs and do not understand the principlesand procedures of the training involved. All employers sign an agreement statingthat they will support and assist the trainees during their training programme, butmany are not complying with the agreement. Some modern apprentices have jobsthat do not offer them sufficient scope to develop all the requisite competenciesthey need to demonstrate in order to obtain their NVQ. For example, one traineehas a very specific job as a swimming teacher and has little opportunity to developthe supervisory competencies required for her NVQ. To date, alternativearrangements to enable her to produce the necessary evidence have not yet beenmade.

17. There is no initial assessment of sport and recreation trainees. They all havethe same individual training plans. There is no accreditation of prior learning orachievement even though many trainees have been employed in the industry priorto being recruited to the training programme. Some trainees have achieved aGNVQ at advanced level in leisure and tourism and have already achievedcompetency in a range of key skills. They are not credited with this achievement



and are frustrated at the prospect of having to repeat key skills assessments.Another trainee who has received additional learning support throughout schoolhas no record of this on his training plan. He is not receiving specialist supportduring his training. Training plans are general rather than specific to individualneeds and the dates they specify for the completion of action are vague.

18. Achievement rates over the past three years are poor, and no trainees havecarried out their individual training plan in full. In training, priority is given toensuring trainees complete work for their NVQ and insufficient consideration isgiven to making sure they meet all the requirements of their framework. In 1996-97 and 1997-98 over half the modern apprentices left without any qualifications.Numbers of trainees entering the sport and recreation training programmes havebeen declining with only three new recruits in 1999-2000. Reviews of trainees’progress are not carried out in accordance with the requirements of the contractwith ELTEC. Reviews should take place every twelve weeks but most trainees areonly reviewed annually. Some trainees have problems with their rate of progressbut the reviews have not identified these.

Hospitality Grade 4

19. CTS has 13 trainees working towards NVQs at levels 1, 2 and 3 in foodpreparation and cooking. There are five modern apprentices, seven nationaltrainees and one on other youth training programmes. All trainees are employedand work in a variety of local placements. These include heritage and outward-bound centres, retail sandwich bars, restaurants, public houses and hotels. Traineesare encouraged to gain extra qualifications in food hygiene. Training takes placeprimarily at work. Trainees attend college one day a week for training, whichincludes skills development and assessment. Four members of staff are involved inthe teaching and assessment. A training co-ordinator manages the work-basedprogrammes and the remaining staff are involved in off-the-job training,assessment and verification. All are vocationally experienced and all but one havethe appropriate assessor or verifier qualifications. Most trainees leave the trainingearly to take up full-time employment. Over the past three years, no trainees havecompleted their individual training plans. There has been a decrease in modernapprenticeship recruitment from seven trainees in 1997-98 to four in 1999-2000and an increase in the number of national trainees from none in 1997-98 to six in1999-2000. The number of trainees leaving with NVQs has decreased from 33.3per cent in 1997-98 to 25 per cent in 1999-2000. Retention rates are low. In 1997-98, the proportion of trainees who left their programme early was 67 per cent. In1998-99, all trainees left their programme early and in 1999-2000, the proportionof early leavers was 77 per cent. Inspectors agreed with one of the strengths andone of the weaknesses identified in the self-assessment report. The grade awardedby inspectors was lower than that given in the self-assessment report.



STRENGTHS♦ good placements to meet trainees’ needs♦ good training resources at the college

WEAKNESSES♦ missed opportunities for work-based assessment♦ poor assessment practice♦ low achievement and retention rates

20. Trainees’ employers are supportive towards trainees and match the abilities ofindividual trainees to the jobs on offer within their companies. Trainees increase inself-confidence and become valued members of the workforce. The range ofestablishments varies from a sandwich shop, where trainees with learningdifficulties develop basic skills, to restaurants and hotels, where trainees extendtheir skills and take on increased responsibilities progressively.

21. At the main college site, the training kitchens and restaurants are purpose builtand well equipped to meet industry standards. These facilities help to preparetrainees for work. Assessors and tutors involved in these programmes have anannual opportunity to update their professional skills. In turn, this updatingbenefits the trainees in their off-the-job training. There is a college learningresource centre containing textbooks, videos and access to the Internet. Traineesare introduced to this resource at induction and can make use of these facilitieswhen they attend the college. All school leavers are given protective clothing andhave their own food theory textbooks.

22. Most assessments are conducted at the main college during the weekly off-the-job training sessions and a backlog of assessment builds up towards the end of theacademic year. All trainees are assessed but they are not assessed in the workplace.CTS has now recognised that trainees can gather evidence of their competency inthe workplace and some trainees are now being assessed through observation oftheir performance at work.

23. Assessors do not always assess trainees against NVQ standards. They do notrecord, or give feedback on, how trainees are meeting these standards. Assessorsuse an observation sheet which refers to statements that are not part of the NVQstandards. Most assessments take place at college and much assessment usuallycentres on the trainees’ compilation of the weekly menu for the training restaurant.In some portfolios, there is insufficient evidence. Record keeping is poor. Forexample, units are signed off without dates. It is often not clear who has made theassessment decision or what evidence has been presented. Assessment of trainees’acquisition of theory and knowledge is carried out separately from assessment oftrainees’ practical skills. Assessors do not ensure that trainees make theappropriate connection between theory and practice. None of these weaknesses hasbeen identified by the internal and external verifiers.



24. For the last three years no trainees have carried out their individual trainingplans fully. The proportion of trainees leaving with an NVQ has increased from 14per cent in 1998-99 to 25 per cent in 1999-2000. These proportions are low butonly 12 trainees started programmes in each of the two years. The retention rate,which was nil in 1998-99, improved to 23 per cent in 1999-2000, but is well belowthe TEC average of 38 per cent.

Hair & beauty Grade 4

25. CTS currently has 21 trainees on hairdressing programmes. Trainees areworking towards NVQs at level 2 or 3 in hairdressing. There are four modernapprentices, 16 national trainees and one on another youth training programme.Trainees are recruited through the careers services, from schools and directly fromlocal hairdressing companies. All trainees are employed in one of 19 localhairdressing companies. Employers are mostly small companies based throughoutthe Pendle and Burnley areas. Eighteen trainees attend college one day each weekfor off-the-job training and one trainee attends a neighbouring further educationcollege. Training sessions at college cover information technology, theory andpractical hairdressing, and key skills. All assessment is carried out during thesecollege sessions. Hairdressing work-based training is co-ordinated by a member ofCTS staff. This hairdressing co-ordinator is responsible for visiting trainees atwork and carrying out reviews of their progress. Reviews take place every eight toten weeks and they involve the trainees’ employers. Trainees participate inpractical training sessions in their salons and can bring models in for additionalpractice. In 1997-99, the retention rate was 57 per cent. In the 1998-2000, it fell to42 per cent. To date, no trainees from the group recruited in September 1999, haveleft their programme. Those trainees who have completed their programme haveachieved an NVQ at level 2. To date, no trainees have fulfilled the objectives intheir training plans relating to key skills, and have therefore not completed theirframework. Inspectors did not agree with many of the strengths identified in theself-assessment report and considered some to be no more than normal practice.They found weaknesses CTS had not identified. They awarded a grade lower thanthat given in the self-assessment report.

STRENGTHS♦ trainees’ good practical skills♦ opportunities for trainees to gain additional qualifications♦ innovative activities to motivate trainees♦ good on-the-job training



WEAKNESSES♦ ineffective planning of college-based training♦ trainees’ slow progress towards achieving NVQs♦ no work-based assessment♦ late introduction of key skills training into programmes♦ some poor retention rates♦ failure of trainees to progress

26. Trainees develop good practical skills. In their practical hairdressing sessionduring the college day, they are confident in their work with clients. There areenough clients for trainees for assessment purposes and with whom they canpractise hairdressing techniques. Trainees are encouraged to use a wide variety oftechniques throughout the training programme. Practical sessions take place in thecollege’s own commercial salon and trainees demonstrate their ability to workeffectively in this environment. Trainees receive good training in their salons. Thistraining is provided in a variety of ways but mostly in sessions using models andobservation of experienced stylists working on clients. Some employers send theirtrainees on specialist courses with hairdressing product manufacturers. Themajority of the employers are small and in some cases have only two staff.Trainees are quickly encouraged to acquire and practise their hairdressing skills byworking with clients. Trainees are not assessed at work and they do not gatherevidence of their competencies in the salons for their NVQ portfolios. Manytrainees make slow progress towards achievement of their qualifications.

27. There are few links between the on- and off-the-job training. Employers havelittle knowledge of the work carried out during the college day unless they closelyquestion their trainee. They do not receive any information about this training.Trainees do not feel that there are useful links between their work and the trainingin college. There is little use of witness testimonies for portfolios. CTS’ main linkwith employers is through the regular visits to the workplace by the hairdressingco-ordinator who has fostered some good relations with key employers. Employersare encouraged to attend the annual competition for all students and traineesattending Nelson and Colne College on hairdressing courses. This competition washeld in March this year and 18 trainees took part. Trainees demonstrated theirpractical skills and CTS trainees were placed first, second, third and fourth in thecompetition for first-year students. In the competitions for second-year students,CTS trainees were placed first, second and fourth. Trainees enjoyed thisopportunity to demonstrate their skills and awards were presented at this event forthe trainee of the year from first- and second-year groups. This event also providedthe level 3 trainee with the opportunity to use her organisational skills in co-ordinating the event.

28. The off-the-job training is poorly planned. The second-year trainees at the timeof inspection had not completed work for their NVQ 2 although the college course



was due to finish in two weeks. Trainees have no scheme or plan of for their workin college. Most have little awareness of the content of their off-the-job trainingand the requirements of the qualification. Tutors’ lesson plans and schemes ofwork are sparse in content and in some cases, inappropriate. Key skills training hasbeen introduced very late into the programmes. Second-year trainees recentlyreceived their log books close to the end of the course. First-year trainees onlyreceived these at the end of their first year of training. All trainees are confused bythe key skills requirements. Teaching has been poor and no trainees have achievedthe full computer literacy and information technology qualification that wasidentified on their training plans. There has been little attempt to make the courseleading to this qualification occupationally relevant or motivate and interesttrainees. This course has been improved recently but modern software packagesthat are currently used in hairdressing salons are not available during the training.Most trainees take two years or more to achieve an NVQ in hairdressing at level 2.Trainees are not encouraged and pushed to progress more quickly.

29. There is no initial assessment of trainees’ basic skills and some trainees do notreceive the additional learning support they need. Most trainees have notcompleted work towards their qualification when the college course finishes inMay, and they have to attend in their own time to receive extra help. Portfoliobuilding is introduced very late in programmes. Some portfolios are poor andcontain a narrow range of evidence. Few trainees progress to level 3 from level 2.Of the four modern apprentices on programmes last year, only one continued tolevel 3. Retention rates have been poor although there are signs of improvementthis year. Trainees who complete their programmes achieve their NVQs but nonehas completed the modern apprenticeship or national traineeship framework.Trainees have the opportunity to gain additional qualifications during theirprogrammes. All first year trainees work towards an award for salon hygiene.Second-year trainees complete a variety of beauty courses including those incosmetic make-up, manicure and pedicure.

GENERIC AREAS

Equal opportunities Grade 3

30. CTS follows the equal opportunities policy and procedures of the college.Staff have a clear commitment to upholding equal opportunities. The equalopportunities policy is reviewed annually by the equality of opportunity committeewhich is a subcommittee of the college’s academic board. The committee includesone member of staff from CTS. The CTS ‘ethnic minority development officer’ isalso part of the college’s ‘ethnic strategy group’ that meets four times a year. Acopy of the equal opportunities policy is given to all staff and is prominentlydisplayed in the CTS offices. The CTS site is fully accessible to people withmobility difficulties. An equality of opportunity guide for trainees has beenproduced in plain and simple English. The ethnic minority development officerpromotes training to the local communities and schools. The proportion of trainees



from minority ethnic groups is currently 16.3 per cent. The proportion of personsfrom minority ethnic groups in the local community is 10.3 per cent. Currentlythere are no trainees with disabilities. Inspectors did not agree with some of thestrengths and weaknesses identified in the self-assessment report. Additionalstrengths and weaknesses were identified and the grade inspectors awarded waslower than the one proposed in the self-assessment report.

STRENGTHS♦ effective promotion of equal opportunities♦ high proportion of trainees from minority ethnic communities♦ good training on equal opportunities

WEAKNESSES♦ trainees’ low awareness of the importance of equal opportunities♦ no promotion of equal opportunities to employers♦ no monitoring of the effectiveness of the equal opportunities policy

31. The equal opportunities policy is clear and detailed with supplements to coverdisability. It is prominently displayed. There is little monitoring of theeffectiveness of the policy. All staff receive a handbook that details the proceduresfor upholding equal opportunities. There is a comprehensive staff developmentprogramme and staff have attended recent courses on a variety of issues includingrace awareness, inclusive learning, disability issues, harassment and equalopportunities in recruitment. CTS staff are invited to, and expected to attend, anyavailable courses that are relevant to their job role. Some of the informationproduced by the college and given to trainees at their college induction is availablein a variety of community languages and many signs are written in theselanguages. Trainees attending college for their off-the-job training benefit from theclear commitment of staff to upholding equality of opportunity. Prayer rooms areavailable on college sites.

32. CTS works within a community with a large minority ethnic communitypopulation. Some 55 per cent of this group are under 18 years. The ethnic minoritydevelopment officer attends to the needs of trainees from minority ethnic groups.The development officer speaks a number of community languages. He is involvedin many initiatives to increase participation in work-based training by personsfrom the local communities. For example, he has promoted benefits of work-basedtraining to parents. A series of promotional events has been aimed at parents topresent a positive image of training. These have included road shows andexhibitions in the local town hall.

33. The development officer monitors minority ethnic recruitment data. Statisticson those interviewed, recruited and retained, who achieve an NVQ and whoprogress onto other programmes are collected and analysed on a quarterly basis in



terms of gender, ethnicity and disability. These data are not yet used systematicallyin action planning and target setting. Analysis of the data, however, is producingimportant information about recruitment, the progression of trainees andperformance. The suitability of the programmes offered by CTS for trainees fromminority groups is also being examined. The hairdressing, hospitality and sportand recreation programmes have recruited few trainees from minority ethnicgroups. Marketing materials convey positive images with pictures and referencesto both men and women and trainees from minority ethnic backgrounds.Representation has been high of persons from local minority communities ontraining programmes has been high.

34. All trainees are given a copy of the equal opportunities policy that has beenredesigned with the aim of making it more appropriate to them. Trainees, however,demonstrate little awareness of equal opportunities issues. Little discussion onthese issues takes place. Staff are currently designing a series of exercises on equalopportunities that are to be introduced into the induction process.

35. There has been no promotion of equal opportunities to employers. Employersshow little awareness of the issues relating to equal opportunities and few displayan equal opportunities policy. Employers without their own policy are not requiredby their contract to sign up to the CTS policy.

Trainee support Grade 4

36. Trainees are recruited directly from schools or are referred by the careersservice. The only exception to this is the area of sport and recreation wheretrainees are recruited from employees in the workplace. CTS employs a full-timerecruitment and placement officer. Some trainees receive an initial assessment thatis based on diagnostic testing of their key skills and a psychometric assessment.This assessment determines the trainee’s occupational preferences and type ofwork that suits them. The induction programme deals with health and safety, CTSpolicies and procedures and completion of various necessary documents.Additional induction activities take place for those trainees who receive their off-the-job training at the college. Occupational staff are responsible for providing thenecessary vocational support and for carrying out trainees’ reviews every 12weeks. The self-assessment report identified strengths which inspection did notconfirm. Inspectors identified additional weaknesses and awarded a grade lowerthan that proposed through self-assessment.

STRENGTHS♦ good pastoral support for trainees♦ effective project to improve trainees’ employability



WEAKNESSES♦ poor arrangements for the initial assessment of trainees♦ ineffective induction arrangements♦ failure to ensure the easy accessibility of college support services to trainees♦ no strategy for identifying trainees’ support needs♦ failure of training plans to reflect individual trainee needs♦ no accreditation of trainees’ prior learning

37. Pastoral support for trainees is good. CTS staff give help and advice to traineesthrough frequent visits to trainees at work. In most areas, these visits take placefortnightly and staff can easily be contacted by telephone. Trainees in sport andrecreation rely on frequent visits from their assessor. By maintaining frequentcontact with trainees, assessors aim to prevent some less motivated trainees fromleaving. In hairdressing and hospitality, trainees receive good support from theirassessor who visits them frequently at work and also keeps in regular contact withthem during college sessions. One trainee in hospitality has valuable help andsupport with basic skills and preparation for work. CTS staff visited his home andfound him a workplace suitable for him where he is now employed. Of the 109trainees, 96 are employed. Foundation level trainees are given help in finding workand many progress to employment. In 1998-99, 51 per cent of foundation leveltrainees gained employment and in 1999-2000 39 per cent did. CTS offers a six-week programme to introduce school leavers to the occupational areas. Theprogramme has proved effective and many who go on it join training programmes.In hospitality 70 per cent of trainees in 1999-2000 had been on this introductoryprogramme. Trainees in hairdressing also find this a useful introduction to theindustry.

38. There is no systematic initial assessment at the beginning of the trainingprogramme. There are no arrangements for the accreditation of trainees’ priorlearning. Some trainees have to be assessed carrying out tasks they have alreadycompleted successfully before and some make slow progress. There is nodiagnostic testing of trainees’ basic skills and trainees’ needs for additionallearning support are not identified effectively. Some trainees who requirespecialist support are not receiving it. Arrangements for induction are better insome occupational areas than in others. In most cases, induction is superficial.Hairdressing trainees receive an induction booklet that is written for full-timecollege students and does not relate to work-based training. The quality ofinduction is affected by the arrangements for off-the-job training. Those traineeswho attend the college for one day a week have access to additional informationand guidance. Those trainees who receive all their training at work are given theminimum of information on health and safety and NVQs. The effectiveness of theinduction process is not monitored. Trainees have a poor understanding ofassessment procedures and are not fully aware of the support services available tothem.



39. There is a comprehensive network of support services available at the collegebut these are not easily accessible to CTS trainees. Arrangements for referringtrainees to these services are not systematic. College tutors usually arrange fortrainees to receive additional learning support from specialist staff, when they havedifficulty coping with off-the-job training. Trainees who do not attend college haveno access to specialist support. There are no systematic arrangements foridentifying support that trainees need and for planning ways of providing it. Staffdiscuss trainees’ support needs informally and are willing to provide trainees withhelp when they need it. There are, however, no procedures for judging theeffectiveness and appropriateness of the support given. Inadequate records are keptof trainees’ support needs. Trends in trainees’ needs for support are not identifiedin order to ensure that resources to help trainees are allocated effectively.

40. Throughout the organisation, individual training plans do not identify orreflect the individual needs of trainees. The plans specify the qualificationstrainees are working towards but the timescales within which they must beachieved are vague. Some elements of training are missing from the plans.Amendments to target dates are made but they are not specific and do not relate totrainees’ progress or changes in programme. Additional qualifications relevant tothe trainees’ job role that trainees are working towards are not always identified onthe plans and the trainees’ additional learning needs are inadequately recorded.The initial assessment process is poor. It does not provide basic information abouttrainees’ abilities and aptitude that can be taken into account in their individualtraining plans. Some trainees do not complete the standard application form andtheir record of achievement at school cannot be taken into account in their trainingplans. In some instances, the opportunity is missed to accredit these trainees’ priorlearning and experience.

Management of training Grade 4

41. CTS is a separate, but not wholly autonomous, section of Nelson and ColneCollege’s employer support unit. The college’s business services manager hasoverall responsibility for CTS. The CTS operational manager retired at the end ofMarch 2000 and the post is vacant. CTS is currently organised and managed by thebusiness services manager and the CTS administration co-ordinator. They aresupported by three programme leaders, who are responsible for the training andassessment programmes, eight trainer/assessors, one trainee placement andrecruitment officer and two administration officers. All CTS staff are employed bythe college. CTS staff attend meeting of the equal opportunities subcommittee ofthe college academic board. The CTS operational manager prepares a monthlybusiness performance report for the business services manager who then meets anddiscusses this report with the college principal. Other CTS staff members are askedto join other college working groups as they are constituted. For example, theadministration co-ordinator from CTS has attended the college’s informationtechnology steering group to consider information technology issues from a CTSperspective. CTS does not have its own business plan but produces a report on an



annual basis that forms part of the larger divisional plan for the employer supportunit. CTS subcontracts most training and assessment to Nelson and Colne College.Some training and assessment are subcontracted to another local college and oneprivate training provider. Most CTS trainers are vocationally qualified for theirarea of responsibility and are qualified as assessors. The main role of thetrainer/assessor is to conduct reviews of trainees’ progress, providing welfaresupport for trainees, and to liaise with employers and college tutors. Some of thetrainers/assessors assess trainees at work. Nearly all trainees are employed orplaced with an employer for work experience. Training is currently supported byemployers throughout the local area. Nearly all trainees attend off-the-job trainingfor one day each week throughout the college academic year. There are writtenprocedures for staff recruitment and a staff review system has been recentlyintroduced. The college has been recently re-accredited as an Investor in People.CTS’ compliance with the TEC contract is closely monitored on a monthly basis.The self-assessment report failed to recognise a number of significant weaknesses,including weak co-ordination of training and poor subcontracting arrangements.Inspectors awarded a lower grade than that given in the self-assessment report.

STRENGTHS♦ carefully monitored business performance♦ clear specification of staff roles and responsibilities

WEAKNESSES♦ weak subcontracting arrangements♦ no co-ordination of on- and off-the-job training♦ ineffective use of data♦ workplace providers’ lack of understanding of CTS policies

42. CTS has well-developed arrangements for monitoring and recording trainees’achievement of NVQs, for TEC-contractual purposes. CTS prepares monthlyreports that monitor trainees’ NVQ achievement rate against the TEC’s targets.The achievement rate of CTS trainees exceeds the TEC targets. Although CTSmeets and exceeds the TEC achievement targets, many trainees do not fulfil all theobjectives in their training plan. The proportions of modern apprentices andnational trainees who meet all the requirements of their respective nationalframework are low. The college has recognised this strong performance against setTEC targets and CTS has benefited from a higher level of funding per trainee.These funds have allowed CTS to appoint additional training staff.

43. Lines of management are clearly defined and CTS staff understand the aims ofthe organisation. All staff have job descriptions and are aware of their individualroles and responsibilities. Recently, a process has been initiated for reviewing theperformance of staff, using the college’s staff review procedures. Theseprocedures identify staff’s personal development needs efficiently. They do not,



however, include any direct observation of teaching and the review does not takeinto account any questionnaire responses from trainees or employers. Thesearrangements have replaced the former less structured approach to the review ofstaff performance. CTS has still to identify any clear organisational objectives orstaff development needs related to the improvement of training and learning.Internal communications are informal but effective. There is no planned cycle ofstaff meetings. CTS staff work closely together and there is regular liaisonbetween them and college tutors. The working relationships between all concernedare excellent, and all those involved in the learning process have high respect forone another. In recognition of the problem of trainees dropping out of programmesCTS staff closely monitor trainees during their early months of training with theaim of improving retention rates. Early signs are that this monitoring is provingeffective.

44. Trainees are either employed or placed with work placement providers. Theyare visited regularly at work. The extent of employers’ involvement in trainees’reviews, assessment and training is variable, and some have none. Many employersand work-placement providers have no understanding of the NVQ qualificationrequirements or assessment processes. Co-ordination of on-the-job workexperience, and off-the-job training and assessment is weak. There are nointegrated training and assessment plans. Opportunities that occur daily to relateexperience in the workplace to skills and competencies developed off the job aremissed.

45. Management information is not taken into account systematically in actionplanning by staff and decision making by managers. Current data analysis isconfined to summary reports for senior managers, and to fulfil TEC-contractualrequirements. Each employer signs an agreement affirming commitment to helpingthe trainee and supporting the programme of training. There are no arrangementsto monitor the effectiveness of the subcontracting agreements with employers orthe service-level agreements with colleges or other training providers. There are noclear management procedures to ensure that on- and off-the-job training areproperly structured. CTS have insufficient communication with employers andwork-placement providers about training, assessment, and reviews of trainees’progress. There is no coherent management approach to key skills training andassessment. The agreement with employers does not include details about themonitoring or management of training and assessment and does not requireemployers to familiarise themselves with the key policies and procedures of CTS.

Quality assurance Grade 5

46. CTS has a range of written quality procedures covering most aspects oftraining. These meet TEC contractual requirements. The CTS administration co-ordinator is responsible for the quality assurance of work-based training. The self-assessment report for the TSC’s inspection was produced to coincide with the



Nelson and Colne College annual self-assessment report and the joint inspectionby the TSC and the FEFC. Most of the evidence in the CTS self-assessment reportcame from a recent TEC survey and informal interviews with the CTS staff. Thebusiness service manager and the administration co-ordinator produced the finaldraft of the report in March 2000. CTS staff were all encouraged to participate inproducing the self-assessment report and their comments and feedback werereflected in the final draft. There was an internal validation event involving staff,representatives of ELTEC and employers. ELTEC carry out contract complianceaudits. Following these, action plans are prepared and CTS addresses any agreednon-compliance. Recently, CTS has asked trainees and employers to reply toquestionnaires about the quality of training programmes. The response to these hasbeen poor. CTS has no systematic arrangements for obtaining feedback from staff.Inspectors agreed with the judgement in the self-assessment report that qualityassurance procedures are clearly specified. They found weaknesses relating tointernal verification arrangements and the lack of systematic monitoring of thestandard of training, which CTS had not identified. They awarded a grade lowerthan that given in the self-assessment report.

STRENGTHS♦ clearly specified quality assurance procedures

WEAKNESSES♦ no rigorous monitoring of the effectiveness of training♦ insufficient data analysis for the purposes of continuous improvement♦ failure to make self-assessment an effective feature of quality assurance♦ inadequate internal verification arrangements

47. CTS quality assurance arrangements are clearly specified. They are subject toan annual review and in general they are well understood by CTS staff. There areprocedures that cover most day-to-day operations and meet contractualrequirements, such as those relating to reviews of trainees’ progress, financialmonitoring and the selection and induction of trainees and staff.

48. The quality assurance system does not lead to continuous improvements andinsufficient action is taken on audit findings. There is no systematic analysis ofdata derived from quality assurance. There is no detailed analysis of year-on-yeartrends in trainees’ performance or of feedback from trainees, training staff, workplace supervisors and subcontractors. The quality of training provided bysubcontractors or in the workplace is not regularly or rigorously monitored. Thereare few structured staff meetings and liaison between staff is mainly informal.There are no systematic arrangements to enable staff to identify and discuss goodand poor practice. Self-assessment, target setting and action planning do not formthe basis of the organisation’s quality assurance procedures. These proceduresfocus on contractual compliance but fail to monitor the quality of training against



clear criteria or lead to continuous improvement.

49. Internal verification procedures are not applied consistently across allvocational areas. There is little co-ordination of the self-assessment process. Insome vocational areas, the internal verification procedures are unsatisfactory andinsufficiently rigorous. There is little observation of actual assessments. There isno detailed plan for the sampling of assessment to ensure that internal verificationis carried out throughout the training programme and covers all the variousassessment methods. Internal verification records are not well maintained. Oneinternal verifier is not occupationally qualified. Observation of practicalassessments is limited and not supported by any detailed sample plan that ensuresverification is both timely throughout the training period and representative of thevarious assessment methods used. Internal verification record keeping is poor. Oneinternal verifier is not occupationally competent.

50. The self-assessment process is not yet an integral part of the quality assurancesystem. The self-assessment report cited a number of strengths, but inspectorsconsidered that many of these were no more than normal practice. It made littlereference to year-on-year trends in each occupational area or to the quality oftraining, assessment or training resources. Many judgements lacked supportingevidence. The report lacked detail about the local community. The report includedan action plan, but this failed to show how the organisation can built on itsstrengths.

Nelson and Colne College Training Services - Ofsted · Nelson and Colne College Training Services...

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