Watertrain Achieves Ofsted ‘Good Provider’ Grade

In its latest Ofsted report published on 21 September 2022, Watertrain has been graded as ‘Good’ across all areas of inspection.

As the predominant provider of high-quality technical training, qualifications, and apprenticeship to the UK water sector, Watertrain has demonstrated its dedication and effectiveness in developing significant new knowledge, skills, and behaviours, after its latest inspection by OFSTED achieved a Good Provider grade.

Comments from Ofsted included:

What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

• “Apprentices have an excellent understanding of the safety-critical nature of the water industry. They have a very good understanding of personal protection, such as wearing the correct personal and protective equipment. Apprentices know how to keep themselves and the public safe, for example how to minimise water borne diseases and pathogens. As a result, apprentices work safely and proficiently.”
  
  
• “Apprentices are highly valued in the workplace and move on to more complex work as soon as they are competent. Employers are ambitious for what apprentices need to know and can do. Frequently, apprentices are promoted, for example to field service technicians as a result of the new skills and knowledge they have learned on their apprenticeship.”

What does the provider do well?

• “Leaders and managers have a clear and successful rationale for providing apprenticeships that prepare apprentices for their next steps in the water industry. Leaders and managers work with a small number of specialist employers to provide a pipeline of skilled water network operative and water process technicians. Almost all apprentices move into fulltime sustained employment. The majority of apprentices are promoted or gain additional responsibilities.”
  
  
• “Tutors and LDCs plan teaching skilfully and use an effective range of techniques, including workplace scenarios and problem-solving tasks. For example, working collaboratively in teams, apprentices use the scenario of a road collapse caused by heavy traffic. Apprentices use search tables to determine the combination of pipe size, depth of trench and safety factors to determine the correct stress loads for the installation of new pipework. Apprentices carry out tasks adeptly and to a high standard.”

The full Ofsted report can be read here https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50193423. For more information of Watertrain, visit www.watertrain.co.uk.