Training success rates “a national disgrace”

Citation

(2006), "Training success rates “a national disgrace”", Education + Training, Vol. 48 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2006.00448eab.003

Training success rates “a national disgrace”

A former lifelong-learning adviser to the House of Lords has challenged UK-based training providers to deliver the training that they are being paid for. Mike Bourke, who was a specialist adviser to a House of Lords select committee on lifelong learning, urged colleges and private training providers to improve their success rate from an average of 44 per cent to a minimum of 60 per cent, to earn the money they are being paid by the Government.

“Training success rates in many sectors are a national disgrace,” he commented. “The failure to deliver includes both colleges and private training providers and seems to be one of training’s best-kept secrets. This is not an impossible challenge. There is lots of good practice out there. Successful work-based training is all about delivering courses that not only fit in with trainees’ work commitments but also complement employers’ needs. This means offering training at night time, at weekends, in the evening – whenever and wherever it is necessary. It is also about getting people to recognize that updating their skills is a lifelong process.”

David Saunders, director of operations at national training provider The Skills Partnership, said: “Delivering the training that employers want is not always easy. You have to be prepared to deliver training at unsocial times and in difficult locations. If you do, all the evidence suggests that the success rate will rocket. We recently trained 32 night workers at a UK distribution centre for a national retail chain. Many felt this was the first time anyone had invested in them and, as a result, they were committed to succeeding. They all passed their team-leader training and basic-skills qualification with flying colours.”

Christine Donaldson, a trainer with The Skills Partnership, said: “It was a challenge going into a distribution centre in the heart of an industrial estate in the middle of the night – especially in winter. Getting there at 10 pm and trying to be enthusiastic was really tough, but boy was it worth it. We ended up with a 100 per cent success rate and a group of people who graduated to become professional managers. Many of them are keen to go on to the next stage by achieving a Level 3 qualification.”