MEMBER & PARTNER TESTIMONIALS

By being a member of GTA England the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre benefits from being part of a wide group of diverse providers with a common aim: providing apprentices and engineering employers with the highest quality provision.

GTA England enables us to address common issues collectively, we share experiences and discuss challenges to bring good practice to bear across member organisations.

Being a member of GTA England also means that we are always informed of the latest developments in apprenticeships. GTA England also ensure that its members’ views are aired in the right places to maximise impact and to contribute to shaping the apprenticeship landscape.

University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre

Having been involved with GTA England almost since its inception, I have seen its growth from a relatively small group of like minded GTA providers to the membership it currently has. We have all seen the significant changes to Work Based Learning and Apprenticeships, particularly over the last 5 years, which have been testing to say the least. GTA England has evolved with these changes to ensure we are well supported as providers. We have taken advantage of several initiatives, including Peer Review Training, development of trailblazers, Apprenticeship reform support and most importantly consistent quality updates and training, which have helped in us maintaining our Grade 2 Ofsted. GTA has also increased it’s lobbying voice within the government to ensure the GTA voice is heard and recognised by Ofsted and the ESFA and long may this continue!

Kelly Perkin, CEO, Alliance Learning

Being part of a network of like-minded businesses brings many benefits to us as a provider. It enables us to share best practice with other businesses of similar size, provision and culture; support each other in times of need to ensure we maintain our reputation of high quality provision delivered to industry by industry led organisations, have a collective voice and greater influence on the political scene and probably most importantly is the ability to benchmark ourselves against like for like businesses.   We view the network more as trusted friends rather than business colleagues who create a culture of openness and transparency in our efforts to provide the highest quality of service and provision to our employers and their apprentices. GTA’s are very much viewed as partner organisations within their employer networks due to the nature of the close working relationships we share with our customers and the integral nature they play in our unique GTA structures.

GET (Gloucestershire Engineering Training)

GTA England have been a valuable and engaged partner to the Institute as we have sought to position the employer voice at the centre of  Apprenticeships and Technical Education in England and notably in the STEM and Engineering fields.

Jennifer Coupland, Chief Executive, Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education

GTA England is a trusted and powerful voice on behalf of both smaller training providers, in-company training organisations, and associated SME companies, ensuring they are heard at Government level, taking part in a number of Trailblazer groups, and driving discussions regarding the challenges of T levels. “Together with the advice, consultation, information and support to providers, GTA England fulfils a real need but above all ensures your voice is heard.

Andrew Parsons, Employer Chair Automotive Trailblazer Group, Managing Director, AP-Ex training consulting

The Aerospace/Airworthiness Trailblazer group has worked with GTA England over the last five years, developing 20 new Apprenticeship Standards together with other employers and stakeholders. GTA England has been integral to our Trailblazer helping to shape and tailor the Standards so that SMEs can access this new learning opportunity.

Mark Donnelly Chair of Aerospace/Airworthiness Trailblazer, Head of Apprenticeships & Skills, BAE Systems

GTAE has been helpful in sharing the views of those we inspect and this impacts on the development of frameworks and inspection methodology, facilitating pilot changes to inspection practice. Your frank and honest sharing of views, opinions and evidence was paramount in helping us to get the EIF right.

Dr Chris Jones, Specialist Adviser for Further Education and Skills, OFSTED