Add presentation title to master slide | 1 Improving Success Rates Phil Hatton HMI Ofsted National Adviser 24 March 2010 West Midlands ALP Conference Park Inn Birmingham West

Add presentation title to master slide | 2 Background National performance for Apprenticeships  Between 2005/06 and 2008/09 overall success rates for all Apprenticeships improved from 55% to 70% (Apps 69%/Ad Apps 70%), an improvement of 15 percentage points  Between 2005/06 and 2008/09 overall combined timely success rates for all Apprenticeships improved from 33% to 44% (Apps 46%/Ad Apps 40%), an improvement of 11 percentage points  Timely success rates remain well below overall success rates, a difference of 26 percentage points in 2008/09  The gap between overall and timely success rates over this same four year period has widened by 3 percentage points

Add presentation title to master slide | 3 Background National performance for Apprenticeships  This presents a good picture of sustained improvement for continually improving overall success rates  However overall timely success dropped 1% in 2008/09  Numbers starting Apprenticeships rose in 2008/09 to 239,000 starts  There are more than double the amount of Apprentices than Advanced Apprentices, with some providers offering areas such as hairdressing struggling to get progression

Add presentation title to master slide | 4 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Recruitment of Apprentices and employers:  Getting the prospective learner onto the right programme by interview and working with employers who recruit themselves  Learners who understand vocational training often do better and are less likely to leave (progressing from school link work, work experience, taster activities)  Setting entry requirements contributes where frameworks have components that are difficult to achieve (such as application of number at level 2)  Working with employers who support their learners through training and assessment (some providers have branded employers as gold, silver and bronze)

Add presentation title to master slide | 5 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Initial assessment (IA):  Most providers have satisfactory IA, fewer have really good IA  Providers who communicate the reasons and results of IA to learners, employers and their own staff use it best  They know the areas that their learners will need support with in detail and put the support in place at an early stage  Many providers check learning styles but cannot tell you how it has been used  The best IA includes what will be happening in the workplace, whether there are any gaps in work available when matched to the requirements of the NVQ  The best ILPs use the results of IA to plan delivery

Add presentation title to master slide | 6 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Individual learning plans (ILPs):  One of the most common areas for improvement in inspections a few years ago, but now having an impact on improving success rates, particularly timely success  Too many providers use the standard proforma, completed quickly to satisfy funding requirements (and not being individual to the learner and their employer)  The best ones use a provider developed proforma, involve learners and employers in completion (choice of optional units) and set targets in the form of a ‘timeline’ route through all elements of the framework  The ILP is used throughout training and altered as circumstances change  Progression is included as part of the plan

Add presentation title to master slide | 7 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Induction:  Most providers have at least satisfactory induction that is remembered by learners  The best take place over time and include activities that introduce NVQs and key skills (portfolio building, assessment and key skills projects) along with health and safety and equality and diversity  The ones that learners remember well get them involved in working together and researching  The best inductions set out to answer ‘what information will prepare our learners to get the most from their training?’  Included when learners progress to Advanced Apprenticeships

Add presentation title to master slide | 8 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Off-the-job training & assessment  We see some very good teaching of theory, made relevant to the workplace, varying activities and having a strong emphasis on checking learning  The development of practical skills can be influenced by the experience of tutors and the availability of resources  Sharing schemes of work with employers helps link training with that occurring in the workplace  Many different models of delivery which work – key point can be how they suit the employer  Assessment needs to be includ the workplace for good timely success

Add presentation title to master slide | 9 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Key skills :  Key skills contextualised and enjoyed by the learners  Seeing more employers being supportive of them as part of the framework  Many good examples of assignments – early start of delivery  Improved use of proxies  Sometimes see higher level KS being offered  Online testing has helped improve availability of, and performance in, tests  Early introduction of next KS level can help give a head start for Advanced Apprenticeships

Add presentation title to master slide | 10 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates On-the-job training & assessment:  Linking of employer training to the NVQ  Regular planned visits from provider assessor staff  Continuity of assessors very important to provider and learners  Mentors/buddies for learners often feature with good employers  Employer staff may act as assessors or by providing evidence  Provider may have assessors based in the workplace for large employers

Add presentation title to master slide | 11 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Support:  Can have an impact on keeping learners on programme  Often given very well but without being recorded on ILPs and reviews  Learners can do as well or better than those who do not need it  Many still not aware of resources to support dyslexia  Out of hours support very common where success is high  Group support can benefit other learners not initially assessed as needing it  Often difficult to recruit qualified staff to carry it out

Add presentation title to master slide | 12 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Progress reviews and target setting:  Essential for good timely success  Visits to the workplace can be anywhere from weekly to monthly  These are not the 12 weekly contractual monitoring reviews where the focus is on an overview of progress and the welfare of the learner  They need to be planned if the employer is to be involved, helps to involve them in doing their part  Targets that are focused on closing down individual units work best and motivate learners  They need to be broken down into clear small steps, agreed with the learner and shared with the employer  Learners like knowing exactly where they are in completing the framework

Add presentation title to master slide | 13 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Monitoring learner progress:  Key point in assuring the focus of everyone is on timely completion  Management information must be capable of producing reports for each learner and each assessor  Many examples of monthly monitoring meetings with assessors  On inspections of national providers with wide ranging differences in performance, the best centres know which learners are due to complete in a quarter and ensure that they are on target  Good data gives advanced warning of potential problems  Traffic light systems to monitor progress work well, as do large boards in centres

Add presentation title to master slide | 14 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Employer engagement:  We see more examples of providers who are good at communicating and engaging with employers  Employers know more about what is happening with their Apprentices off-the-job  Many assessors are very flexible in working with the employer, out of normal hours or being regarded as a useful resource  Some employers have helped update provider staff  Some construction employers have helped other Apprentices gain experience of work missing because of the recession

Add presentation title to master slide | 15 The key factors focused on by providers that have helped them to raise overall and timely success rates Next steps  Set long-term aspirational targets & use self-assessment reporting robustly to reach them  Develop the staff you have and keep them with you  Plan delivery for every learner and monitor progress  ‘Crack’ the issue of work-based assessment, reviews and target setting  Make functional skills delivery as good as it is for key skills  Talk to others, share good practice – network!  Look at good practice case studies on the Excellence Gateway  Download the best inspection reports, read Talisman provider profiles – learn from the best!  Once you reach your targets, work to stay there