Quality Estyn rating for JTL in Wales

Guidance and support given to Wales’s electrical and plumbing apprentices has been labelled outstanding by inspection authority Estyn in its report on JTL, the training provider to the building services engineering sector.

JTL was scrutinised as part of Estyn’s six-year (2004-2010) national programme of inspections of educational providers to report on learners’ achievement, the quality of education and training provided, leadership and management capabilities and value for money.

“Overall, the quality of care, guidance and support is outstanding and JTL has a comprehensive range of policies and procedures to promote the care, guidance and support of learners,” said Estyn’s report.

JTL achieved Grades One (good with outstanding features) and Two (good features and no important shortcomings) status in all categories on the five-point scale used in the inspection report.

JTL’s quality assurance manager David Consterdine said: “The inspection is a terrific vindication of the hardwork and professionalism of our team in Wales. The inspection has shown almost all our current learners in Wales make good progress towards their learning goals, achieve good practical skills and theory knowledge.”

The inspection body revealed that JTL’s apprentices in Wales have improved their learning significantly over the last two years in both electrical installation and plumbing with very few leaving their programme without any qualifications.

Estyn also confirmed JTL gives good value for money and the quality of teaching, training and assessment in the learning area inspected is good.

A suitable bilingual Welsh language policy has been devised by JTL and its training officers promote learners’ understanding of health and safety and equality and diversity well. Learners were also offered good access to a wide range of activities that broaden, enrich and promote their personal development.

“JTL welcomes the report’s findings and would like to thank the Estyn inspection team for its professionalism and dedication. The grades awarded and comments made in the report provide public recognition of the hard work and dedication of JTL staff, partner organisation’s, employers and the learners themselves,” said David Consterdine.

The report concluded that overall, JTL has comprehensive policies and procedures that cover all aspects of its training operations. Managers are well informed by good data to monitor the performance of learners. JTL has a well-developed formal system for monitoring the performance of its subcontractors in the Welsh region.