NC Group celebrates as Ofsted gives training provider top marks in all areas
OUTSTANDING OFSTED
PICTURES : CHRIS BOOTH WORDS : DAVE ROBSON
Training provider NC Group is celebrating a “ top class ” rating across the board after Ofsted declared its apprenticeship provision outstanding .
A 2023 monitoring report suggested the Parsons Court-based firm was making significant progress , with only a couple of areas suggested for slight improvement .
But now , after a full inspection , Ofsted inspectors have rated it outstanding in all five key areas : education quality , behaviour and attitudes , personal development , leadership and management and apprenticeships .
And with its “ overall effectiveness ” rated outstanding too , it ’ s little wonder the NC Group leadership team are thrilled – but determined not to rest on their laurels .
The glowing Ofsted report reflects positively on every aspect of how NC Group provides apprenticeships – from the excellence and expertise of tutors and leaders to the skills and behaviour of the apprentices themselves .
Part of the report states : “ Leaders and managers provide a curriculum which very successfully meets the needs of their apprentices and employers in the engineering and manufacturing industry .”
Another section notes : “ Employers highly value the training and practical skills that their apprentices receive and are very complimentary about the leadership of the organisation and the high level of skills and experience of the teaching staff .”
And while NC Group joint CEOs Ian Nelson and Lee Childs , alongside MD Liam Noble , were confident of a decent report , they admit that to be rated “ outstanding ” in every area is a welcome acknowledgement of the hard work and commitment everyone shows .
Liam : “ You dare to dream that you could reach the highest level of validation but when it happens , you get an overwhelming sense of pride .
“ We decided to do apprenticeships three or four years ago and immediately started to hire the right staff members with the right skill sets and equip them with the right resources .
“ We invested a lot from the outset , which allowed us to empower learners and to develop training tailored to meet the demands of the engineering industry .
“ From that point , apprenticeships and advanced skills development were key to consistently prioritising practical learning and this is the best validation .”
“ Immensely proud ” Ian , who founded NC Group with Lee in 2017 , said : “ It ’ s testament to all the hard work of our staff and reassurance for any clients that our apprentice provision can be fully trusted .
“ It ’ s now cemented us as an elite training provider for the park and beyond ”
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 19