25 jobs lost as Telford training provider closes

Matrix Training and Development Ltd received some of its finance from the Education Skills Funding Agency. But the company was issued with a three-month notice of termination meaning funding will no longer be forthcoming in the autumn.

Now the Department of Education has confirmed that the termination notice was given due to the inadequate rating the firm received from Ofsted earlier this year, but it declined to comment on the closure.

It was rated overall inadequate following an inspection carried out by Ofsted in May and June 2017.

The report, outlining the findings, said tutors did not provide apprentices with appropriate targets with clear and measurable learning outcomes. It stated that inspectors said apprentices’ on and off-the-job training was not sufficiently coordinated or monitored effectively by Matrix’s staff, that the main focus of leaders had been on financial matters and that they had not kept up to date with developments in the training sector.

It stated that governance and the performance management of staff was 'weak' as a result the company was judged 'inadequate' in areas of leadership, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, outcomes for learners and apprenticeships.

But it was praised for building up a base of good employers to work with and inspectors noted that the number of learners who remained in employment after completing their apprenticeship was high.

Three years ago, following an inspection in October 2014, it had received a "good" rating from Ofsted.

The latest Ofsted report, which was published last July, stated that two non-executive directors own the company, while the senior team is formed by two further directors focused on business development and operations.

A total of 25 workers including around 12 assessors, a lead quality assurance manager and a team of five recruitment and telephone sales staff worked at the centre. The company also ran offices, in Tan Bank, Wellington.

Wellington town councillor Phil Morris-Jones said: "It is sad to lose any training service since we need to get more young people into employment particularly into the trades and vocational careers as not everyone is academic."

Telford & Wrekin Council said that it had no involvement with the training provider, but said all the Matrix apprentices would have been placed with a new training provider to continue courses.