University’s apprenticeships centre gets Ofsted seal of approval

The University of Kent’s Centre for Higher and Degree Apprenticeships (CHDA) has been described as a ‘Good Provider’ of Higher Apprenticeships following its first full inspection by Ofsted.

Ofsted inspectors, who visited the Centre in March 2019, found that Higher Apprentices on the technician scientist and laboratory scientist apprenticeships programmes ‘rapidly develop an extensive range of skills and knowledge’ that ‘meet the high standards of employers’.

The inspectors also noted that apprentices benefit from ‘a wide range of very good support provided by university staff’ and ‘apprentices make very good progress’.

In addition, ‘senior leaders and managers have forged extremely effective partnerships with employers involved in the pharmaceutical industry’, they found.

Kent launched the CHDA in 2016. The Centre works in partnership with regional and national employers to develop and provide apprenticeships tailored to their needs. The Centre also has an important role to play within the University, supporting academic schools on all aspects of delivering apprenticeship training.

Centre Director Dr Scott Wildman said: ‘This is a very pleasing first report by Ofsted. The inspectors were particularly impressed by our commitment to supporting employers locally and nationally to meet current and future skills needs, and this is something we have worked very hard to develop since launching the Centre.’

 

For more information on CHDA see: https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/kentlife/22176/universitys-apprenticeships-centre-gets-ofsted-seal-of-approval