CMN apprenticeships praised by Ofsted

Cornwall Marine Network (CMN) the not-for-profit marine business support organisation has ended 2021 with great news by passing its Ofsted inspection. CMN was awarded an overall assessment of ‘Good’ by Ofsted inspectors.

CMN was established in 2002 by local marine businesses as a non-profit company designed to grow and develop the world-class marine sectors of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The network is owned by more than 350 marine businesses local to the region. In the nearly two decades since its establishment, CMN has created 4,053 jobs and apprenticeships in the sector, secured £42million for investment with member businesses, and generated £475 million of added value to Cornwall’s economy.

In 2008, CMN began training the next generation of experts in the marine and other business sectors through a pioneering apprenticeship programme which concentrates mainly on small businesses and delivers all training at company premises without the need for travel to training venues. During the recent inspection, Ofsted inspectors found this apprenticeship training to be ambitious and high-quality, saying of the programme: “all apprentices benefit from a tailored curriculum matched to their job role.”

The report describes the apprentices on the programme as enthusiastic, engaged, and optimistic about their careers in the sector. The report says that the skills, knowledge, and behaviours these apprentices learn through the CMN apprenticeship programme allow them to go on to produce high-quality work.

The positive responses from the programme could be attributed to the environment of trust and mutual respect that CMN fosters, the report states: “Apprentices feel they are treated fairly and respectfully. In turn, they demonstrate high levels of respect for their peers and trainer assessors.”

This assessment provides proof that the CMN apprenticeship training programme has developed a flourishing symbiotic relationship with businesses across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, stating: “Employers value the contributions that apprentices are making to their business, providing opportunities for promotion.”

The success of the programme is thanks to a clear understanding of both the needs of the sector and of the apprentices, this is provided by the industry experts within the CMN Team, led by Chief Executive Paul Wickes MBE and supported by Training Delivery and Quality Manager, Mandy Turton and Deputy, Julie White.

“We are delighted to have received an overall grade of ‘Good’,” says Paul. “It is a testament to the hard work and commitment of Mandy, Julie and the whole CMN team that we have gained this grade. We are in the people business and every customer, including every apprentice, matters to us. This proves that our apprenticeship provision is of a very high standard. It’s something we are very proud of and with continuous improvement built into our day-to-day processes we have a very clear blueprint on what else we need to do to become Outstanding next time around.”

For more information about how an Apprentice might benefit your business, and to find out whether your business may be eligible for grants worth up to £6,000 for each apprentice you employ, or for other advice and support for workforce development, please contact CMN at [email protected]