Report of a Work-based Learning Inspection - Skills for Life and Work and ApprenticeshipsNI Provision in Skilled NI
April 2026
1. Introduction
A. Background information
Skilled NI (previously known as Belfast Central Training) is a registered charity contracted by the Department for the Economy (DfE) to provide the Skills for Life and Work and ApprenticeshipsNI programmes. Their premises are based close to the centre of Belfast. A committed voluntary management committee, made up of trustees, provide ongoing support and challenge to the organisation.
At the time of the inspection, 243 apprentices were registered throughout Northern Ireland across a range of level 2 and level 3 professional and technical pathways, including customer service (77), hairdressing (10), hospitality and catering (143), management (7) and team leading (6). Forty-four percent of the apprentices were aged over 25.
Thirty-eight trainees were registered on the Skills for Life and Work programme across the vocational areas of hospitality, catering (10) and hairdressing (28). Notably, almost all of the trainees come from the most deprived quintile in Northern Ireland.
A minority (16%) of the apprentices had achieved five or more GCSE (or equivalent) qualifications at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics while a small number of the trainees had achieved the same.
A small number of apprentices and a minority (32%) of the trainees were registered with additional needs.
The inspection is based primarily on the professional and technical areas of customer service, and hospitality and catering for apprenticeship pathways as well as all of the Skills for Life and Work vocational areas.
B. Views of apprentices, trainees and staff
The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) issued online confidential questionnaires to the apprentices, trainees and staff in advance of the inspection. The responses to the questionnaires are referenced, where relevant, within the main body of the report.
A high-level summary of the questionnaire responses, including any concerns raised, was shared with the organisation’s chief executive officer.
C. The inspection process
The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) worked alongside the organisation to consider how well the organisation:
- has identified and articulates its vision;
- prioritises actions to achieve the vision;
- overcomes the main challenges it faces;
- monitors and reviews progression to identify, celebrate and embed success; and
- grows and develops an inclusive community of learning.
2. Key findings
A. Setting the vision
The organisation is guided by a clear sense of purpose, reflected in its vision and ambition ‘to be Northern Ireland’s preferred training provider, delivering high‑quality, accessible and diverse learning opportunities’. The vision is informed by a clear understanding of local industry needs and was further shaped through a rebranding and renaming process in 2023, which provided an opportunity to reflect on and refresh the organisation’s vision, mission and values. These are well articulated, shared, and understood across the organisation, providing a strong and consistent direction for strategic planning and continuous improvement. This is further evidenced by the online questionnaire responses, in which all of the staff who responded report that they are clear about the organisation’s vision and the active role they play in contributing to its achievement.
Skilled NI recognises apprenticeships as a key driver of economic growth and workforce development, delivering clear benefits for learners*, employers and the wider economy. The continued focus on the organisation’s refreshed vision, mission and values has driven sustained engagement with employers and key stakeholders across Northern Ireland. Continuous development of strategic leadership is supported by well-considered succession planning and a positive approach to leadership development across the organisation.
The organisation’s self-evaluation and quality improvement planning processes are enabling the identification of a comprehensive and well-informed range of areas for improvement, underpinned by appropriate reflection of practice. There is a clear commitment to ongoing improvement, with strengths being accurately recognised and areas for development appropriately identified. The organisation is well placed to build on this foundation by further strengthening target-setting, establishing clearer baselines and measurable success criteria to support effective monitoring, evaluation and decision making.
B. Implementing and improving to achieve the vision
Skilled NI provides a flexible learning delivery model through a blended approach combining in-centre learning, online sessions and workplace training. A coherent and inclusive curriculum aligns effectively with Apprenticeships NI frameworks and responds well to the needs of the apprentices and their employers. Curriculum design is purposeful and well-integrated, enabling the apprentices to develop and apply their skills effectively. Similarly on the Skills for Life and Work programme, the trainees have a coherent, learner-centred curriculum, enabling them to acquire relevant skills and qualifications to progress to further education, training or employment.
The curriculum is enriched by work-based and experiential learning, enabling the learners to develop relevant vocational, occupational and transferable skills. Strong employer engagement enhances the curriculum relevance, including, for example, the level 3 apprentices undertaking workplace projects with measurable business impact, demonstrating clear application of learning. Enrichment opportunities, such as international placements through the Turing* scheme programme and participation in competitions, further support engagement and development of wider skills. A notable strength is that all of the trainees complete vocationally relevant work placements for three days each week, ensuring strong links between directed training and practical application of the skills and knowledge. The trainees report feeling well prepared for employment, value the expertise of their tutors, and demonstrate increasing confidence and occupational awareness in the workplace.
Planning, teaching and assessment are effective in almost all directed training sessions. A supportive environment encourages mutually respectful relationships, reinforced by high expectations from tutors. Effective practice is characterised by: well-planned and structured lessons; technology enhanced learning; the use of industry expertise to contextualise learning; the promotion of active learning; and adaptive teaching that enables learners to progress according to their ability. The online provision is not consistent and effective enough, with limited opportunities for learner interaction and peer-to-peer collaborative learning.
Within the Skills for Life and Work provision, the recently introduced ‘Elevate’ model connects the provision for employability, personal and social development, and essential skills. Learners report that they value and enjoy this approach because it connects their learning in a clear and meaningful way. It helps them to build useful skills for real life, improves their confidence and makes learning more interesting and relevant for jobs or further study. In the ApprenticeshipsNI programme, the ‘Elevate’ model provides a flexible, hybrid approach with face-to-face and online sessions, supporting apprentices to apply their skills in practice. This approach was introduced in response to the organisation’s self-evaluation processes, which identified low attendance and retention across essential skills. Overall, while the hybrid model is designed to provide a coherent framework for delivery, it is not yet securing consistent learner engagement or demonstrating sufficient impact on apprentices’ progress, particularly within the online apprenticeship essential skills provision. Attendance and participation remain too low, limiting engagement; outcomes; and the overall effectiveness of teaching and learning. As identified by the organisation, continued review and assessment of the impact of the ‘Elevate’ model remains a key priority.
Literacy and numeracy skills are well embedded within vocational learning for most of the trainees and apprentices, supported by strong collaboration between vocational and ‘Elevate’ tutors. This enables learners to recognise the relevance of their learning and apply their literacy, and numeracy skills confidently in practical, work-related contexts.
C. Building equity
Management value and actively promote an inclusive ethos. The organisation removes barriers to learning through person-centred and tailored support, enabling all learners, including those with disabilities or additional learning needs, to participate fully and achieve their potential. Inclusion is built into curriculum planning and is underpinned by high expectations.
Skilled NI provides a positive, supportive and equitable environment, with a strong focus on the health and wellbeing of both staff and learners. Most learners report that they are happy and engaged in their learning, as evidenced through the learner focus groups and the online questionnaire. This evidence demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to living out its mission to ‘encourage, educate and up skill students, creating meaningful opportunities and a brighter future.’ All of the staff who responded to the questionnaire indicated that their health, wellbeing and safety are well supported by the organisation.
At induction, all learners complete an initial assessment and a support questionnaire which inform personalised support planning and timely interventions. Flexible delivery methods have been developed to support trainees unable to attend their training due to illness or other commitments, promoting equity of access.
Learners with additional learning needs are well supported through effective adaptations to learning materials and assessment activities. Adjustments include the use of dyslexia-friendly materials, as well as readers and scribes, promoting inclusion and enabling a diverse cohort of learners to participate fully and make progress.
D. Embedding success
It is noteworthy that, for the 2023 to 2025 cohorts, most of the trainees on the Skills for Life and Work programme were retained (79%), with all of them completing successfully all of their targeted qualifications. In addition, the majority (71%) of the completers progressed to further education or training, with the remainder progressing to employment.
From 2023 to 2024, a majority of the level 2 and level 3 apprentices completed and achieved their full apprenticeship qualification framework, (54% and 61% respectively). These outcomes are almost in line with the Northern Ireland average for all apprentices in 2024 to 2025 (59% and 61% respectively), as published in the DfE ApprenticeshipsNI Statistical Bulletin, January 2026. Just over half of the level 2 apprentices who achieve their full framework progress to further education or level 3 apprenticeships with the remainder sustaining relevant employment.
Careers education, information, advice and guidance is planned for across the provision. Through vocational learning and work placement, the trainees and apprentices are supported to understand progression pathways into further education and employment, including opportunities for progression into more senior roles within their chosen sectors. Overall, learners demonstrate an appropriate awareness of their next steps and the expectations of the workplace.
Skilled NI purposefully celebrates learner success, including through award ceremonies, recognising achievement and reinforcing high expectations, which contributes well to promoting learner confidence, motivation and a positive culture of achievement.
E. Growing a community of learning
The organisation has established strong and productive partnerships with a wide range of employers and an increasing number of post-primary schools. The strategic appointment of a Growth and Engagement Officer has strengthened engagement by providing a clear and consistent point of contact. These partnerships support increased recruitment, with employers highlighting positive communication and effective collaboration, further enhanced through initiatives such as the awards ceremony. They also promote a strong focus on inclusion and wellbeing, particularly in supporting learners with social, emotional and mental health needs.
The tutors are proactive in creating purposeful opportunities for level 3 apprentices to participate in project-based learning to bring about business improvement in their workplaces, for example reducing costs and food wastage.
Through a strategic approach to staff development, the organisation supports all staff to engage in a broad range of professional learning. This includes areas such as supporting autistic learners, mental health first aid, suicide awareness, and the development of mentoring and coaching skills. All tutors hold a recognised qualification to teach in work-based learning. Staff are further supported to engage in external networks, including industry forums, local partnerships and initiatives such as the Turing Programme.
F. Child protection and adult safeguarding
At the time of the inspection, the evidence provided by the organisation demonstrates that the arrangements for child protection and adult safeguarding align to the current statutory guidance.
3. Next steps
Skilled NI is working purposefully and, in most areas of its provision, is progressing well towards achieving its vision ‘to be Northern Ireland’s preferred training provider, delivering high-quality, accessible and diverse learning opportunities’. The organisation provides a positive, supportive environment for staff and learners, with a strong focus on health and wellbeing. Learner engagement and progression is mostly supported effectively through a well-structured, inclusive curriculum, enhanced by external partnerships. Learner achievement and progression rates on the Skills for Life and Work programme are notably high and a key strength of the organisation’s training provision.
The inspection has highlighted areas for action which will enable Skilled NI to achieve its vision more fully across all aspects of its provision, which are to:
- improve the consistency and quality of learner engagement in the essential skills provision (Elevate), particularly for the online delivery; and
- develop a more integrated approach to tracking learner progress across all elements of the curriculum to support improved learner retention rates on the ApprenticeshipsNI programme.
ETI will monitor the progress of Skilled NI in addressing the areas for action. There will be a progress inspection.
The aspect of practice which should be shared more widely is:
- the strong links between training and vocationally relevant work placements which support all trainees on the Skills for Life and Work programme to develop and apply their skills effectively, increasing their knowledge, confidence, and occupational awareness in the workplace.
4. Appendix
Appendix 1: Quantitative Terms
In this report, proportions may be described as percentages, common fractions and in more general quantitative terms. Where more general terms are used, they should be interpreted as follows:
Almost/nearly all - more than 90%
Most - 75% - 90%
A majority - 50% - 74%
A significant minority - 30% - 49%
A minority - 10% - 29%
Very few/a small number - less than 10%
Appendix 2: Notes
Page 2
learners*
The term ‘learners’ is a composite term referring to both trainees on the Skills for Life and Work programme and apprentices on the ApprenticeshipsNI programme.
Page 3
Turing*
The Turing Scheme offers education providers the opportunity to apply for funding to support their students with study and work placements around the world.
Turing Scheme projects support social mobility and expand international opportunities for students across the UK, particularly for those who might not otherwise get the chance to study and work abroad.