Apprenticeship provider responds to ‘damning’ Ofsted report

Training provider JTL’s chief executive has responded to this week’s Ofsted report that seems to suggest apprenticeships are delivering poor quality for money and seeing thousands of “under achieving” young people.

Jon Graham said he is disappointed the headline messaging that has been seized upon, ignores the very positive results and outcomes many specialist providers are delivering for the UK economy.

Graham commented: “We welcome Ofsted’s  investigation into apprenticeship issues and their concerns around quality and accept that their comments have  resonance in the wider apprenticeship field, where many short-term apprenticeships have been developed in areas that do not support fundamental business requirements - such as addressing the national skills shortage.

“However, we’d have liked to have seen more media coverage of the benefits of apprenticeships to the economy too – for instance a recent report estimated a Higher Apprenticeship can increase an individual’s lifetime earning potential by up to £150,000, comparable to the return for a university graduate.

“I also think it’s important to recognise that there are many high quality training providers not reflected in these headlines. Achievement rates on apprenticeships are higher than ever before, and we’re particularly delighted that through pre-screening and ongoing candidate assessment and review, JTL consistently performs 10% higher than the national success rate in our apprenticeship training, with completion rates of around 80%. We know other training organisations have experienced similar success levels with their apprentices too.

“If you delve more deeply into the Ofsted report it does acknowledge that there are training providers doing a good job, so it is very disappointing that the headlines we’ve seen today following publication have treated all apprenticeships in the same way.”

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