Outstanding – Aycliffe training provider NC Group has received a glowing Ofsted report .
Lee also commented : “ We are absolutely thrilled to be rated Outstanding by Ofsted in every area .
“ This recognition reflects the hard work of our staff , the dedication of our learners , and the trust of our employer partners .
“ At NC Group , we are passionate about empowering the next generation of engineers , and this milestone only strengthens our commitment to excellence and living up to our ‘ training excellence for industry ’ tagline .”
The group ’ s 30 staff include around 12 directly involved in apprenticeship delivery , including apprenticeship manager Darren Tate and a hand-picked , vastly experienced team of tutors .
At the time of the Ofsted inspection , 49 apprentices were enrolled on the level 3 team leader or supervisor apprenticeship , six on the level 3 science industry maintenance technician apprenticeships and a handful more on other apprenticeships .
And Liam feels NC Group ’ s flexibility in providing the sort of training employers want plays a big part in their success .
He told Aycliffe Business : “ One of the key things Ofsted liked about us is we ’ re quite niche and bespoke in what we do .
“ The guys set the business up to mainly service the needs of engineering and manufacturing organisations within the local area and that ’ s what we ’ ve stuck to .
“ Employer representatives from 3M , INEOS and Gestamp met with Ofsted , and all stated that it ’ s a well-deserved report and they were glad to be working with such an industry-focused provider . Being part of the process , employers spoke with the inspectors about the quality of our provision .”
Liam added : “ We were confident Ofsted would like what they saw , but it ’ s always a bit nerve-wracking when you hear inspectors are on their way .
“ When we got the call , there was a bit of a split-second panic but when the dust settled , we knew we were in a good place and had a great chance of achieving the highest possible validation , and that ’ s exactly what happened .
“ And you can ’ t fake it – every single aspect of the provision , from speaking to employers and learners to staff members and stakeholders , shows they ’ re looking at the ins and outs of everything .
“ Essentially , it was a three-day visit that was three or four years in the making .”
Lee said he and Ian set the business up to do two main things : equip people out of work with the knowledge and skills to get
20 | Aycliffe Business