A businessman has vowed never to re-enter the FE training market if his apprenticeship provider’s contract is terminated following an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted assessment that left him “stunned”.
Wildes Education has operated as a subcontractor for over a decade and began direct delivery in 2018, training apprentices in adult care, hospitality and catering, hairdressing and administration.
The private provider now faces being kicked out of the apprenticeships market, under Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) rules, after Ofsted gave it a grade four report this week following the firm’s first full inspection visit in December.
The watchdog’s report included some positives but delivered the lowest possible judgment overall mainly due to “limited” training. “Too many apprentices do not receive enough time at work to complete their studies,” Ofsted reported. “As a result, they study in their own time, balancing their personal commitments with the completion of their apprenticeship.”
