North East Employment Training Agency Limited

Company Profile

Incorporated in 1987 and became a wholly owned private Company in 1990/01

The current shareholding is held between three Directors, ME Wright, JE Wright, and SM Briganti with the balance being held in a trust, the ultimate beneficiary of the is GE Wright.

The remaining three Directors all work in the Company and are based at the Company’s registered office 65 High street Gateshead.

In September 2004 the Company amended its name with Companies house to North East Employment & Training Agency Ltd

The Company Board

Mike Wright is the Company chairman and is employed on a part time basis three days per week.
Mike’s main role is Company policy and financial governance, Mike tracks income received against claims made and agrees reconciliation with fund holders.

Eve Wright is Company Secretary and is employed on a part time basis two days per week.
Eve’s main role is to maintain income and expenditure records and prepares and reports upon Company finance. Eve authorizes and actions all financial commitments including staff salaries and expenses.

Susan Briganti is the Managing Director and is employed full time by the Company.
Susan’s main role is to secure contracts through the tendering process, then ensure contractual delivery through performance monitoring and operational management, this includes all resource implications and she is ultimately responsible to the board for all operational activities.

Reporting to the board are:- The Management team

Susan Briganti Managing Director
Martin Woodey Training Manager (vocational programmes)
Beverly Ball Quality Manager and E2E manager

This team have thirty years service with the Company.

This team essentially manages the delivery of all of the Company’s business and are responsible for the development, implementation and review of the Company’s action plan.
In addition the team are responsible for Equality and Diversity, Health and Safety, Staff Development and Personnel, Internal and external audits, Internal verification and Marketing and Media.

Reporting to the Management team are:-

1. Financial claims team

This is a new team and function for the Company which was identified as necessary to respond to the ever increasing burden of bureaucracy resultant from current policies.

This team consists of Laura Foster (Senior claims officer) who has been with the Company now for 7 years, and new member of staff Angela Scott (claims officer)

Between them Laura and Angela will collate all claim information and submit to the various fund holders for payment.
Essentially Laura will collate the youth claim and Angela will collate the Adult claim, however both will have a full working knowledge of both claim systems.

In addition to claim preparation and submission both will develop and manage a data base / management information systems enabling them to respond to management requests for key data / statistics.

Laura will have additional responsibility for spot and final checking of all claims prior to signing by authorized signatory (ME Wright/ SM Briganti)

This team is a discreet team with no functional responsibility to other operational activities.

Colleagues should not request this team for admin support.

2. Centre administration team

Claim preparation was a large part of this teams function, we have taken this out of the general admin role and developed a new section (see above) and in addition have increased the staffing further.

The new team is Miriam Foster (admin officer) Vicki Gardener (admin assistant) and Nozrul Islam (admin assistant)

Miriam is new to the Company and takes on the role of administration officer. This post is a full time post and Miriam will report to the management team.

Miriam will be responsible for the supervision and allocation of duties for the administration assistants, all routine administration functions including:-office purchasing, petty cash and invoices. Any requests from colleagues for photo copying / typing etc must be channeled through Miriam.

Miriam will also manage and maintain office records for staff attendance, fire and evacuation, accident reporting, she will also co-ordinate and monitor the work of internal and external service providers (general maintenance, cleaners, window cleaners, alarms etc)

Vicki will have particular responsibility for supporting the adult provision and Nozrul will support the youth provision, this will involve photocopying, typing, file preparation and filing. They may also visit your centre's to support you on site.

3. Internal Verifiers / scheme Co-ordinators

Jim Brannan is the Internal Verifier for all basic skills provision (adult and youth) and is the scheme co-ordinator for all adult provision. Jim has long service with the Company and is very experienced in the assessment and delivery of adult provision, also the awarding body requirements. Jim’s main role is to provide internal verification services to all departments delivering the adult core curriculum plus other entry level qualifications, he has additional responsibility for programme management including audit of learner records and resource implications and whilst has no timetabled tutorial commitments Jim provides support for new and or inexperienced members of staff and staff cover where necessary.
In addition Jim has supervisory responsibility for the adult team in relation to general housekeeping, holiday authorisation, timetabling etc.

Sarah Madderson is an experienced deliverer and newer member of staff and is the internal verifier for Hairdressing.
Sarah’s main role is to provide verification services for the apprenticeship programme and to ensure implementation and standardisation of awarding body standards across assessment sites, and the development of learning materials.
In addition Sarah has some timetabled delivery and assessment commitments.

4. The teams

It is broadly true to say that the Company’s income is derived fairly equally between three areas of delivery
• Apprenticeship programmes funded through the LSC
• E2E programme funded through LSC but as a subcontractor to Rathbone training.
• Pre Vocational programmes for adults funded through JCP

As a result three distinct teams are in place, each team has a link admin support and a dedicated or shared team of support staff for recruitment and placement and or basic skills delivery.

Hairdressing team reporting to Martin Woodey

Delivery is across two main sites (Washington and Newcastle) and at employers premises
Internal Verifier
Sarah Madderson (Hair)
Andrea Coates – Appleyard (Key skills)
Tutors
Alison Wiltshire
Kirsty Bell
Rachel Taylor
Nicola Briganti
Support team
Mike Leathhead Essential skills support
Doreen Dietz External liaison officer

Four Tutors (plus Sarah Madderson) are split between the two Company sites with one member of staff at each site being senior tutor. All tutors, tutor and assess both in house and in the employers premises on a rota basis. Tutors have named learners that they are responsible for.
Average number in learning is 120 apprentices 40 E2E hairdressing 5 JCP.
The IV is responsible for around 20 of these learners resulting in tutors having around 36 - 40 learners that they are each responsible for. 70% of learners attend the centre one day per weekly or fortnight with the remainder being open learners. Classes take place 3 or 4 days per week and should average 7-10 learners per group.

Apprentices work towards a framework programme which includes NVQ at level 2 and 3 plus the attainment of key skills in number and communication at level 2 and for advanced apprentices the Diploma in hairdressing at level 3

The main outcome of this provision is completion of the framework

Support staff provide additional help to the team, Mike Leathead supports learners assessed at Basic skills entry 3 to achieve level 1 and supports tutors in the delivery of Key skills for those learners at level 1 working towards level 2 in key skills. Doreen Dietz capacity builds to identify new employer opportunities and Markets the provision to schools and Connexions service and carries out Health and Safety screening and ongoing monitoring for all (hairdressing) employer placements. Doreen also completes induction paperwork.

E2E Team reporting to Beverly Ball
This provision is delivered on the basis of a subcontract held with Rathbone training from the Head office and from the Hairdressing sites.
Internal verifier
Jim Brannan
Tutors
Iain Bartlet
Richard Waters
Pat Nellist
Supported by
John Coutts
Barry Walton

E2E is a programme designed to facilitate positive progression for young people (predominantly 16 year olds) into mainstream training, employment, employment with training or to return to full time education. The provision has three distinct strands, a vocational learning strand, basic skills and life skills. Entrants may need support for one, two or all three strands.
There are around 70 learners on the programme with 35 /40 of them being hairdressers with a basic skill need. Their length of stay is planned for 12 weeks if Entry3 and 20 weeks if Entry2.
The remaining 35 Learners are predominantly life skills learners with 70% having a basic skill need.
The attendance pattern is a minimum of 16 hours per week increasing to 30 hours or as per employers requirement.
Initially delivery is in house but the objective is to identify and address barriers through vocational experience, tasters, work placements voluntary and community work.
Support Barry Walton
Barry is a placement officer who works across the Company’s pre vocational provision and supports the team through the identification of suitable work tasters / placements and progression opportunities.

A positive progression is the main outcome of this provision

The Adult team reporting to Jim Brannan and ultimately to Susan Briganti
Delivering two programmes from four sites, Head office, South Shields, Newcastle and Blyth

Internal Verifier
Jim Brannan
Tutors
Diane Normandale (BET)
Jack Slator (SIBS)
Diane James (SIBS)
Lawrence Briganti (BET / SIBS)
Alan Butler (personal development / job search)
Michael Macguire (BET)
Diane Searle (SIBS)
Dave Walton (BET)

Support staff
Barry Gibson (Interview & Induction)
Audrey Ridley (placement officer)
Barry Walton (placement officer)

Adult learners are referred from Jobcentre plus and can be 18-25 years of age New Deal clients who are funded under FTET (Full time education or training) or they are 25+ and funded under BET OR SIBS (basic employability training or short intensive basic skills) Eligibility for the provision is a basic skill need at or below entry level and the level of need and age of client dictates which programme they are referred to. The length of stay is between 8 and 26 weeks.
The customers attend on a full time basis working towards a qualification in literacy or number and have job search and mandatory work experience (exception SIBs) as part of their programme. Customers also work towards a formal unit of a qualification for work preparation.
A small number of clients may be referred who do not have a basic skill need but who have significant barriers which prevent or inhibit their moving into and sustaining employment.
A small number of clients from FTET and LOT (longer occupational training up to 52 weeks) are referred to hairdressing provision

The main outcome of this provision is employment.

Support staff provide additional support for induction and recruitment and placement opportunities and job entry targets

Secondment /ancillary staff

Claire Rycroft is an attached connexions advisor based here 20 hours per week
Michelle and Verity are employed by Rathbone and are attached to our E2E team for additionality / basic skills support 15 hours per week
Michael Firby is our Caretaker / handy man
Nadia McCawley is the Coordinator of the ‘collective’ and is based in here.

PPD rent a room from us on a part time basis for Independent Basic Skills Assessment

Company development

The introduction of the flexible curriculum for 14-16 year old has encouraged the Company to invest in further growth and to explore this has appointed a:-
14 – 16 development officer
John Coutts
The medium and longer term aim of this project is to become more involved in providing additional vocational opportunities to GCSE Students 14-16 as part of the curriculum offer, however initially schools are still reluctant to release more able young people and the learners referred to date are largely pre E2E or those likely to become the NEET group.

The Company has secured a small amount of funding through the learning partnership to deliver ‘collective futures’ these are a series of Saturday morning 12 week tasters in Hairdressing and is aimed at able young people considering a career in Hairdressing.

The Company wishes to embrace another occupational area and is monitoring the local labour market. This is reflected in the Company’s 3 year development plan.

Update April 2005.

New Development areas identified for Summer 2005

Apprenticeships in Land based qualifications
We are currently in discussions with Newcastle City Council to become the delivery partner for opportunities in environmental/conservation training as part of their multi million pound development ‘Ouseburn Valley’

This area, only 3 miles from our Head office, is part of the phased, inner city regeneration project which seeks to redevelop the area with small business and recreational facilities.
This phase includes £1 million pound capital to refit the main building (which once was the main building of the old ‘city farm’) and a grant of £54k for the next three years for a project / farm manager.

This collaboration will provide NEETA with growth potential in apprenticeship programmes and much needed opportunities for land based project work for the existing adult and E2E provision.

The LSC have approved our plans for development into this occupational sector and awarding body approval is being processed.See enclosed ‘Ouseburn Farm News’

Beauty

This sector is a natural partner to our Hairdressing Apprenticeships provision.

Whilst we have considered developing into this area in previous years a number of things have been considered a barrier, not least:-
• The requirements of the NVQ
• Limited employment opportunities
• Current provision

The new NVQ launched in August 04 addressed some of our concerns, the new flexible structure allows for delivery to focus upon areas of beauty (i.e. make up and manicure) which in turn opens up additional employment opportunities.

In Tyne and Wear this sector was largely delivered by the local colleges and only one private training provider. This provider is currently experiencing significant problems with staffing and has had an unsatisfactory Adult Learning Inspection and we believe has its awarding body certification status suspended and the LSC are allowing ‘no growth’!

We believe that this is the right time to develop this apprenticeship model.

To do this we propose to seek new premises in the city which will provide accommodation for our existing hairdressing learners plus new Beauty learners.

Economies of scale (shared premises and some staff, such as placement and key skill staff) will reduce some of the risk for this development.

We have made one new appointment in preparation for this new development, Mrs Andrea Coates-Appleyard is an experienced occupational practitioner who is also an experienced deliverer / assessor and internal verifier and Key skills assessor. Mrs Coates –Appleyard will initially support the hairdressing team as Internal Verifier for Key skills and will advise on the planning and development for the new beauty department.

The LSC have given approval for this area and awarding body approval will be sought when new premises have been identified.