Honda (UK)’s apprenticeship programme, delivered by its bespoke training facility, The Honda Institute, has been given an ‘outstanding’ grading from Ofsted – the Office for Standards in Education.
Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and three additional inspectors carried out the inspection in January 2012 using a variety of methods such as questionnaires, observing learning sessions, group and individual interviews etc.
A key paragraph from the reports states that “The overall effectiveness of Honda’s apprenticeship programme is outstanding and the programme provides exceptional value for money. Learners enjoy their training and develop excellent occupational skills, making a highly valued contribution to their workplace”
The report uses a four point scale to grade the report (1 = outstanding; 2 = good; 3 = satisfactory; four = inadequate) and the record of main findings state that the apprenticeship programme scores a grade of 1 in each of the following main areas:
- Overall effectiveness
- Outcomes for learners
- Quality of provision
- Leadership and management
For the full report, please click on http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/52377 and download the ‘work-based learning inspection report’.
The Honda apprenticeship programme takes place over two years for Lawn and Garden and Marine; and three years for Car, Parts Operations and Motorcycle/ATV. During this time apprentices are employed by their local Honda dealership and attend block training at the Honda Institute working on products within one of the five divisions. Qualified apprentice graduates achieve an Intermediate Apprenticeship for Lawn & Garden and Marine; and an Advanced Apprenticeship for Cars, Parts Operations and Motorcycle/ATV.
Paul Taylor, Technical Training Operations Manager at the Honda Institute comments: “The Honda Institute is the home of Honda’s people development and we work hard to support skill and knowledge in our car, motorcycle and power equipment networks. A good understanding of both the economics of our industry and people’s desire to learn and improve is fundamental to our operation. Having the right skill and knowledge to look after our products is key to maintaining performance and reliability. Our customers expect highly trained and skilled technicians in our network of dealerships and that’s exactly what we deliver through apprenticeships.
“The grading from Ofsted is a real testament to the professionalism and passion of our people and underpins everything we do. Graduates from the Honda Apprentice Programme make up 20% of Honda (UK)’s car and motorcycle technicians, a grading of ‘outstanding’ reinforces that we are getting it right.”
Honda (UK)’s apprenticeship programme has recently scored a whopping 90.8% – 14.4% above the national average – for its completion rates and 89.8% – 24.5% above the national average – for its ‘timely success’ score. As their titles suggest, completion rates show how many apprentices actually finish the apprenticeship programme and timely success rates show how many apprentices complete within the time frame promised by Honda (UK). Scoring is carried out quarterly by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) – the funding body for national apprenticeships.
The Honda Institute was opened in 2001, and is the home of people development for Honda in the UK. Working with sector skills and industry bodies, the Honda Institute provides a measurable contribution to business performance. Some 10,000 people are employed in Honda dealer networks, and the Institute delivers approximately 25,000 days worth of training every year.