One-Third of Providers Received At Least One ‘Insufficient Progress’ Ofsted Rating Since March.
The idea of developing your workforce with a hybrid; at work, external provider solution sounds rewarding for your organisation and the employee, so why is this not the case?
Since the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in 2017, the scheme has received backlash for the poor quality and the drop-out rates of apprenticeship programmes, with only 60% staying until the end of 2019/20.
Ofsted Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman admitted she was concerned about the quality of apprenticeships providers were delivering, with one-third of providers receiving at least one ‘Insufficient Progress’ from Ofsted since March 2021.
So why is this the case? Is the idea of an apprenticeship better than the reality?
Innersummit recently had their first Ofsted visit, where we were also recently able to share the result publicly. We believe our result is significant in recognising that apprenticeships can be successful when delivered in a way that engages, challenges and ultimately focusses on developing the apprentices.
Of course, as an apprenticeship provider, we are strong believers in apprenticeship programmes and the benefit they have to individuals and organisations. We, however, haven’t always delivered apprenticeships. Innersummit began by offering organisational development services, primarily in leadership and management. By recognising the opportunity apprenticeships offered in helping to develop employees practically, Innersummit started delivering a range of level 3 and level 5 apprenticeships from Team Leader/Supervisor and Business Administration to Operations/Department Manager to Coaching Professional.
So, what does our result mean for those interested in developing their workforce through apprenticeships?
Our result is proof that apprenticeships, if focussed correctly on developing individuals and organisations, tailored to specific industries and are seen as more than just a tick-box exercise of completing standards, can be incredibly rewarding. But don’t just take our word for it, Ofsted themselves recognised that our tutors “provide lively and energetic teaching sessions which help build successful relationships with apprentices” and “successfully encourage apprentices to participate actively in remote learning and involve all apprentices in discussions”.
Ofsted also agreed that our apprentices “develop substantial new knowledge and skills” and reported that apprentices “describe the teaching as inspirational”.
This not only sounds rewarding for their organisations, but also to the individuals committed to developing themselves and their careers.
We achieve this by embracing fun and engaging ways to teach and challenge apprentices while allowing them to practically test their knowledge and skills. We were able to maintain this through the pandemic remotely with our purpose build studios.
If you are considering an apprenticeship yourself, or you are interested in running apprenticeships within your organisation, we believe our Ofsted result and our solutions serve as a recommendation, highlighting the benefits of apprenticeship programmes. Through hard work and innovation, we are constantly improving the apprenticeships we provide to benefit the apprentices and your organisation, so why not enquire today and find out how we can help you develop your people and your organisation?
