PARAGON SKILLS RETAINS ‘GOOD’ OFSTED RATING

Leading national apprenticeship provider, Paragon Skills, has retained its ‘good’ Ofsted rating following a full inspection.

Inspectors praised Paragon Skills’ “clear and strategic vison to meet the training needs of the employers they work with”, and the company’s focus on “establishing curriculums to provide training that meets the workforce needs of the care and education sectors.”

Award-winning Paragon Skills has a dedicated focus on the education and care sectors, supporting over 7,000 learners annually and working with over 2,000 businesses.

The latest Ofsted report highlights the positive learning environment created by Paragon’s tutors who, “skilfully create safe and collaborative communities so that apprentices are made to feel at ease and are confident to ask questions.”

Inspectors recognised that tutors, “know their apprentices well because they build positive relationships with them. Tutors use their vocational experience skilfully to encourage apprentices to link what they are taught to their own workplace.”

Reflecting on apprentices’ experiences of learning with Paragon, inspectors reported that, “Apprentices value their tutors’ subject expertise and how this gives them a better understanding of their job roles and the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to be successful. This helps them to make well-informed decisions about their future careers.”

Commenting on the latest Ofsted rating, Mark Botha, CEO of Paragon Skills said:

“We’re delighted to have retained our existing ‘good’ Ofsted rating following this latest inspection, which is testament to our high standards and ethos of providing a quality service to our learners and employer partners.

“I’m incredibly proud of the positive feedback from our apprentices, who feel supported to succeed by our experienced and specialist tutors. This comes at a particularly challenging time for our core sectors of education and adult care. The impact of Covid and the resulting ‘Great Resignation’ has seen significant numbers of people leaving the jobs market and put even greater pressure on employers to attract and retain qualified staff.

“We remain committed to leading the way in developing a skilled, motivated and qualified workforce for the care and education sectors, and will continue to drive improvements across all areas of our provision to deliver an outstanding teaching and learning experience to every learner, every time.”