A chamber of commerce-owned training provider has been branded ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted for not using local skills information to plan its curriculum. 

Chamber Training (Humber), an independent provider owned by the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Shipping, now faces a ban on new starts following today’s report. 

However, the provider has criticised the inspectorate for “not completing the inspection in full,” and also protested how the new inspection handbook has been introduced. 

It had 129 apprentices on nine programmes focused on hairdressing, adult care, refrigeration, and business between levels 2 and 3 at the time of the inspection. There were also 28 adult learners on a level 3 adult care diploma. 

Provider caught out for teaching apprentices to perm hair

Inspectors found the provider’s leaders and managers “do not use information about local skills needs adequately in order to plan a curriculum for learners and apprentices that is relevant to the needs of their employers”.  

This they saw when hairdressing apprentices were learning how to perm hair, a technique which is “no longer in demand,” rather than how to apply hair extensions, “a skill needed in local salons”. 

That local skills information is not being used by Chamber Training to inform provision is particularly damning, as the government is lining up local chambers of commerce to run local skills improvement plans in the future. 

Eight chambers are currently working as LSIP trailblazers, putting together plans which aim to align the courses on offer in their area with local employers’ needs. 

Having a skills system led by employers, through employer representative bodies such as chambers, is something ministers have insisted on for the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, which will put LSIPs into law. 

Speaking during a Commons debate on the bill last month, skills minister Alex Burghart told MPs: “We have been clear that we want to have an approach that is completely employer-led.” 

Ofsted criticises provider for not ensuring off-the-job training time

Ofsted also found safeguarding arrangements at Chamber Training were not effective, with inspectors reporting: “Too few learners and apprentices understand well enough the local risks that they might come across, such as knife crime.” 

Staff were also expecting too little of apprentices’ compliance with industry working practices, as storage areas in refrigeration workshops were “cluttered” because “apprentices leave crisp packets and soft drinks bottles in their workspaces”. 

Leaders also do not carry out enough checks to make sure apprenticeship programmes meet funding requirements and do not work “well enough” with employers to ensure they understand they need to provide apprentices with ringfenced time away from work to complete training. 

“As a result, too many apprentices do not receive the off-the-job training to which they are entitled.” 

Inspectors did say tutors create a “respectful” atmosphere and the chamber’s leaders establish “meaningful” relationships with the local enterprise partnership and employers. 

The report also approved of how tutors with “significant” industrial experience are recruited. 

Chamber criticises cut in inspection duration

Chamber Training was found to have made ‘reasonable progress’ in all areas of a monitoring visit in 2019. 

Ofsted also made an interim visit to the provider in November 2020, which Chamber Training said, “would have been a good time for Ofsted to mention any concerns it had.  

“There were none, and Chamber Training therefore felt encouraged to continue on the path of making progress.” 

In a statement, the provider said it “responded” to the report, which Ofsted “refused to change”. 

Its curriculum is “designed and delivered” to help businesses develop the skills they need and their employers are “shocked by the report”. 

They and learners “have been complimentary about the standard of training and the support they receive,” the statement added. 

The provider insists it has made “significant” progress in identified areas and the ESFA is “satisfied with our safeguarding arrangements and have allowed us to continue training”. 

Despite approaching the inspection with “confidence,” Chamber Training complained Ofsted was “unable” to train their staff in the new inspection handbook, introduced last year, until November. 

Yet, the provider protested, inspectors “still questioned us on the content when they conducted our inspection in October”. 

Chamber Training also took issue with how the inspection process took three days, instead of the four or five it did at the last inspection. 

“It is our view that Ofsted would have formed a different view of our services had they completed the inspection in full.  

“Ofsted did not make the most of the opportunities to do that and this was not the right time to reduce the duration of an inspection from four or five days to three days.” 

A college facing a ban on apprenticeships after Ofsted judged the provision as ‘inadequate’ has spoken of their “surprise” at the rating.

Oaklands College received its second consecutive grade three report this week but saw its apprenticeships grade fall from ‘good’ in 2018, to ‘inadequate’.

Inspectors claimed that leaders had “not maintained the good practice identified in the apprenticeship provision” at the last inspection.

Instead, “leaders have failed to identify and act upon the serious weaknesses in a substantial proportion of their apprenticeship provision.

“They underestimated the impact of the weaknesses they have identified on the quality of apprentices’ learning experience. As a result, too many apprentices do not enjoy or benefit from their training.”

The 2018 report found apprentices developed high levels of practical work-related skills and often progressed into enhanced roles at work.

Under Education and Skills Funding Agency rules, colleges and training providers which receive an ‘inadequate’ grade are removed from the register of apprenticeship providers so are unable to start new apprentices.

College working to ‘fully understand’ Ofsted’s decision

Oaklands College has 589 apprentices studying between levels 2 and 4 but overall has almost 5,000 learners spread across campuses in St Albans, Welwyn Garden City, and Borehamwood – all in Hertfordshire.

A college spokesperson told FE Week inspectors only revealed their apprenticeship grade would be downgraded on the final afternoon of the September inspection.

“This was surprising to us and our employers, as the college has excellent relationships with the businesses it works with, especially with all the issues impacting on apprenticeships due to Covid, who consistently gave positive feedback including during the inspection,” he said.

Oaklands is working with Ofsted to “fully understand the reasons for the change in grade on the final afternoon”.

Many of the employers they work with, he continued, are “fully supportive” of continuing to work with them on future provision and on existing learners.

New principal Andrew Slade had started just three weeks before the inspection and has “commissioned further work since the inspection, the output of which supports the college’s wish to fully understand the reasoning behind the judgement for apprenticeships,” which accounts for just 5 per cent of the college’s provision.

Ofsted reported that Oaklands learners on study programmes enjoy “a purposeful and focused curriculum,” but inspectors discovered “too many” apprentices do not get the opportunity to practice what they learn at college at their jobs.

They do not understand, the report reads, how the theory they learn will help them get better at their jobs.

Leaders and managers were found to not ensure enough employers fulfil the commitment to give apprentices time away from work to learn.

The watchdog also raised concerns about apprenticeships safeguarding as managers had not helped them understand well enough how the ‘Prevent’ duty applies to their work settings.

“Too many apprentices are not always aware that they may be vulnerable because of the sensitivity of their job roles,” according to the report, which did say safeguarding arrangements were effective overall.

Leaders have ‘high expectations’, report also says

But Ofsted gave Oaklands College a grade two for multiple other areas of provision, finding that leaders have “high expectations” for behaviour to ensure learners develop “work-ready attitudes” to learning.

Most teachers have developed a supportive and productive learning environment and help learners develop team working and communication skills.

For example, hospitality and catering learners demonstrated how to prepare and cook ingredients grown by horticulture students in a weekend festival called ‘From Farm to Fork’.

The college’s leaders also have a “good rationale” for subcontracted provision, working with two providers to offer courses not taught at the college, such as online English and maths courses for adults from diverse backgrounds.

“Throughout the inspection, the college received positive feedback across all areas,” the college spokesperson argued.

The ‘inadequate’ rating comes after education secretary Nadhim Zahawi told FE leaders at the Association of Colleges annual conference in November he would “love to see even more colleges involved in delivering apprenticeships”.