Scheme to improve work skills in Bradford still rated 'good' according to Ofsted

The Skills To Work programme provides employment and skills training support to hundreds of people in the district “facing the most barriers to employment,” including disabilities.

The service had been judged good by Ofsted in 2014, and inspectors have this week revealed that it has maintained that good rating.

Inspectors visited the service in December, and have this week written to the Council with its findings.

The report says: “Leaders have ensured that community education provision is delivered in the areas of the city where residents can benefit from it the most.

“It enables residents of all ages to gain the skills and qualifications that they need to improve their career prospects.

"The service works closely with other education and training providers in Bradford to ensure that apprenticeship provision across the city meets the priorities of businesses and the local enterprise partnership.

"Staff create an inclusive and welcoming environment for learners in the diverse venues where learning is delivered."

Michael Jameson, strategic director of children’s services, said: “Achieving this is down to a lot of hard work from our staff and our partners. It’s a rating which we want to continue to improve on so we can support more people into work.”

Councillor Imran Khan, portfolio holder for education, employment and skills, said: “Getting more people into good jobs is a high priority for the Council and our partners. So it’s really good news that our Skills for Work provision has been rated Good by Ofsted for the second time.

"It means that residents across our district who are looking for jobs and want to develop their skills are getting the right support so that we can help them in to work.”