Twenty three more new training providers have received temporary bans on recruiting apprentices following early Ofsted inspections that found them making poor progress.
Since October 2018, the watchdog has been carrying out monitoring visits at every directly-funded provider which won its own contract to deliver training after April 2017.
Any that are found to be making ‘insufficient progress’ in at least one area will be suspended from recruiting unless there are “extenuating circumstances”.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency has released an updated version of the register of apprenticeship training providers for September, which shows 56 providers are currently banned from taking on apprentices.
The new additions are: 2 Sisters Food Group, AAA Training Solutions, Amdas Consultancy, Apprentice Assessments, Ashley Hunters, Azilo Training, Biffa Waste Services, Bior Business School, Contracting Services (education and skills), Fresh Training Services, Goodman Masson, Havilah Prospects, Hertfordshire Catering, Home Group, Matrix Solutions International, Medivet Group, Prospect Training (Yorkshire), Rita’s Training Services, SHL Training Solutions, SSG Services, The Academy Hub, Wiser Academy and YMCA George Williams Company.
Inspectors visiting employer provider 2 Sisters Food Group found that “too often, line managers do not release apprentices from the production roles to attend off-the-job training workshops, due to work pressures and the need to meet production targets”. It had 62 apprentices at the time of the inspection.
A provider to 97 apprentices, Amdas Consultancy was found by inspectors to have not gathered information to help them fully understand the reasons why many apprentices are on a break from their training.
Inspectors wrote national waste disposal employer Biffa’s implementation of their sole standard, the level 2 large goods vehicle programme, was “weak”, and Biffa does not ensure apprentices all over the country receive their full entitlement to off-the-job training, with its 21 apprentices.
Fresh Training Services was criticised for not recruiting apprentices, of which it had 25, “with integrity”, because they had not made sure they are employed appropriately to allow them to complete an apprenticeship.
It was found by Ofsted that Prospect Training (Yorkshire) that the information it had collected about its 112 apprentices’ progress was “incomplete and inaccurate”.
Staff at YMCA George Williams College, with its ten apprentices, were found not to have “sufficient knowledge and skills of the requirements of apprenticeships to plan and deliver programmes that meet all apprentices’ needs”.
You can see all of the currently suspended providers below.
Ofsted has started conducting full inspections of new apprenticeship providers that were previously banned from taking on new starts following ‘insufficient’ monitoring reports, and awarded them grades that allow them to start recruiting again.
BNG Training, Construction Gateway, Developing Performance Partnership, Ensis Solutions, Mooreskills, NSL, T.M.S Learning and Skills Support and Vogal Group have been removed from the suspended list.
The full list of 56 providers which have been suspended:
| 2 SISTERS FOOD GROUP LIMITED |
| AAA TRAINING SOLUTIONS LIMITED |
| AGINCARE GROUP LIMITED |
| AMDAS CONSULTANCY LTD |
| APPRENTICE ASSESSMENTS LIMITED |
| ARRIVA LONDON NORTH LIMITED |
| ASHLEY COMMUNITY & HOUSING LTD |
| ASHLEY HUNTER LTD |
| AZILO TRAINING LIMITED |
| BIFFA WASTE SERVICES LIMITED |
| BIOR BUSINESS SCHOOL LIMITED |
| CARE TRAINING SOLUTIONS LTD |
| CATALYST LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT LIMITED |
| CENTRAL AND NORTH WEST LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |
| COGENT SKILLS TRAINING LIMITED |
| CONTRACTING SERVICES (EDUCATION AND SKILLS) LIMITED |
| E.Q.V. (UK) LIMITED |
| EMA TRAINING LIMITED |
| FRESH TRAINING SERVICES (UK) LIMITED |
| GLOUCESTERSHIRE ENTERPRISE LIMITED |
| GOODMAN MASSON LIMITED |
| HAVILAH PROSPECTS LIMITED |
| HERTFORDSHIRE CATERING LIMITED |
| HOME GROUP LIMITED |
| JM RECRUITMENT EDUCATION & TRAINING LTD |
| JT DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS LIMITED |
| MANATEC LIMITED |
| MATRIX SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED |
| MEARS LEARNING LIMITED |
| MEDIVET GROUP LIMITED |
| MERSEY CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |
| MOOR TRAINING LIMITED |
| PIPER TRAINING LIMITED |
| POOLE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |
| PREMIER NURSING AGENCY LIMITED |
| PROSPECT TRAINING (YORKSHIRE) LIMITED |
| PROSPECTS TRAINING INTERNATIONAL LIMITED |
| RIGHT TRACK SOCIAL ENTERPRISE LIMITED |
| RITA’S TRAINING SERVICES |
| SCL SECURITY LTD |
| SECURITAS SECURITY SERVICES (UK) LIMITED |
| SHL TRAINING SOLUTIONS LTD |
| SSG SERVICES (EST 2003) LIMITED |
| THE ACADEMY HUB LTD |
| THE BUSINESS PORTFOLIO (UK) LIMITED |
| THE DEVELOPMENT FUND LIMITED |
| THE EDUCATION AND SKILLS PARTNERSHIP LTD |
| THE SANDWELL COMMUNITY CARING TRUST |
| THE TEACHING & LEARNING GROUP LIMITED |
| TOOK US A LONG TIME LIMITED |
| TOTAL TRAINING COMPANY (UK) LIMITED |
| UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS BRISTOL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |
| VORTEX TRAINING SOLUTIONS LTD |
| WDR LIMITED |
| WISER ACADEMY LIMITED |
| YMCA GEORGE WILLIAMS COMPANY |
The whole system is a farce.
Long standing established providers passed the tendering questionnaire, but ended up without contracts due to the pro-rata (over subscription). Loads of new providers enter the market are given non-levy contracts and cannot deliver what has been asked of them. And still established providers are left being unable to serve the employers they support and work with.
There are less and less main providers willing to sub-contract and employers/industries are left without apprenticeship provision, especially in niche areas.
The sooner these organisations put their ‘house in order’ the better. It’s no good pleading ignorance or hard attitude from OFSTED, they’re taking taxpayers money here, no doubt claiming to be a ‘good’ provider, so get on and do your job.
I think that this smacks of a desire to get going and have some investment in training, and deliver the feel good apprenticeship programmes but not a real grip on what needs to be in place on an employer side. The reality is that it’s very challenging for a business to deliver the L&D it wants for it’s apprentices against the regulation and expectations. And difficult for the provider to hold them to account. The 20% requirement, pressures on productivity, getting time to spend with the learner AND their manager to work together.
Are the providers clear enough up front, and strong enough in operation to take the employer to task? Or Vice Versa…
my son is on a hard fought for apprenticeship where the only properly paid employee has now been sacked, the boss is absent and he is left in a windowless office all day on his own running the whole shebang on 3.50 an hour He is not allowed to attend his weekly workshop with other apprentices, is lonely , disillusioned and over worked. at the same time he doesn’t want to rock the boat.
Do you have to directly employ all your teaching staff now or can you use freelance staff or session staff if you are directly managing them.