Apprenticeship provision at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has officially been rated as ‘good’ in its first Ofsted inspection.
UCLan, which currently has more than 600 students enrolled on 19 apprenticeship programmes for more than 200 employers, was praised for “enabling students from all backgrounds to access higher education”.
The institution was commended for “providing clear routes into professional careers” and “highly effective employer engagement”. Other highlights included “a wide range of good-quality teaching and learning approaches” and “excellent resources support”.
The report said: “The University’s strategy supports the Lancashire skills and employment strategic framework to increase the number of higher and degree apprentices in key priority areas with skills shortages. The apprenticeship programmes that have been developed provide clear career pathways to support apprentices into professional roles and to gain qualifications that are supported by their employers.
“Engagement with employers is highly effective. Collaboration with a range of employers, including local NHS trusts, care homes, GP practices and the prison service, is good. Apprentices benefit from and enjoy a wide range of good-quality teaching and learning approaches. Well-qualified staff skilfully plan and deliver formal lectures and workshops to ensure that apprentices develop the advanced knowledge and skills required by their apprenticeship programmes.”
Lynne Livesey, Joint Institutional Lead, said: “We are dedicated to offering our apprenticeship students and their employers the very best in teaching and learning so this ‘good’ Ofsted rating is a great marker for us.
“A large majority of our apprentices are mature students who have been out of education for a number of years. Through these vital apprenticeships, we are enabling people who might not have thought about higher education to access it and in turn they are gaining official qualifications and adding much needed resources into the local health economy.”
