LDA progress recognised by Ofsted

Specialist apprenticeship levy provider learndirect apprenticeships (LDA) warmly welcomes the positive feedback it has received from Ofsted following the monitoring visit of 25-26th April, undertaken as part of a series of visits to new apprenticeship training providers.

Ofsted recognise that LDA’s leadership team has implemented a clear strategy to provide apprenticeships in carefully selected subject areas. Through closely working with a range of employers, many of whom are high-profile and prestigious companies, LDA has developed programmes that both meet the requirements of an apprenticeship and ensure a high proportion of apprentices acquire the workplace behaviours and skills required for their chosen careers.

The report recognises the progress made by LDA’s team of leaders, managers and coaches and the strong relationships it has developed with employers and the beneficial impact this has had on apprentices. Specifically, the report affirms that LDA has ensured employers demonstrate a strong understanding of the requirements of an apprenticeship and their obligations, in particular the requirement to provide sufficient off-the-job training.

Ofsted acknowledges that LDA has created a management structure with clear lines of accountability to ensure good evaluation on the quality of training. It recognises that LDA’s leadership team has a sound understanding of the key strengths and weaknesses of the organisation and are taking appropriate action to tackle aspects that require improvement.

Jenny Parkes, Managing Director at LDA said:

“This is a positive step forward for our business and one which we intend to embrace and build upon. Having established constructive and lasting working relationships with employers, we can continue to ensure that the needs of our apprentices are met and lay the foundations for the future success of LDA.”

About LDA: LDA is a specialist provider of levy funded apprentices. It commenced trading in 2016 and began training apprenticeships funded by the new levy in May 2017. It has an occupancy of over 4,000 apprentices.