Woodspeen Training celebrates end of year results
National training provider climbs the rankings
National statistics released last month have shown what we already knew, that Woodspeen Training is thriving. 2024 has seen the team working with employers, both existing and new, to navigate the changing skills landscape. The result? Over 2,000 starts on a range of courses during 2024, enabling businesses to fulfil their growth plans.
Climbing the rankings
In 2023 the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) confirmed that there were ‘well over 1700 providers’ supporting learners access learning programmes across England. 2024 saw Woodspeen Training climb those rankings, rising from 18th to become the 16th largest independent training provider in England, supporting learners in England access apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps in a range of subjects.
Pharmacy
With over 600 starts, we have continued to be the largest provider of level 2 Pharmacy Services Assistant apprenticeships in England. With the launch of Pharmacy First at the beginning of 2024, pharmacies have been working to deliver new services to patients, whilst simultaneously ensuring they are still supporting them access the correct medication. Pharmacy Services Assistants apprentices have enabled pharmacies across England to serve their patients, whilst also bringing new skills into communities.
Optical
The outstanding success data for our Optical Assistant 2022 level 3 apprenticeship makes it no surprise that we have remained the largest provider of this programme. Our learners have recently been telling us how their improved skills have impacted customers in the workplace.
Residential Childcare
Residential childcare has been in the national spotlight recently, so it is not surprising that providers of this vital service have been talking to us about ensuring their staff have the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that can really make a difference to child in their care. As the fifth largest provider of residential childcare programmes, Woodspeen Training has a proven track record in supporting these settings create environments that ensure children feel supported and cared for in difficult circumstances.
Early Years
September 2025 will see funded Early Years hours expanded to include 9 month olds, add to this the Government’s pledge to raise the proportion of children that are ‘ready for school’ at the age of 5, we are expecting settings to be reviewing staffing plans and understanding how they can continue to support children and parents. As a top 15 provider of Early Years apprenticeships, our industry experienced team understand the pressures settings are encountering and know how to enable learners to create a fun and nurturing environment for children. Add to this our free DBS and paediatric first aid course and we’re ready to work with settings to recruit or upskill their teams.
Information for employers
2025 will bring with it a raft of changes to the Apprenticeship Levy as outlined in the budget, but our team is on hand to work with employers to help them navigate these changes and make the most of the funding and options that are available, including ensuring that employers are aware that they are not required to pay Class 1 National Insurance Contributions for apprentices.
Supporting learners
Alongside supporting employers, we are also working to help learners navigate the challenges of the modern labour market. From listening to our learners we heard that there is a growing concern among young people about insufficient career support and mentorship, particularly regarding practical job-seeking skills and application processes. To help our learners, Woodspeen Training has embedded Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance throughout the entire learner journey. Giving learners the support they need at key steps along their journey to build confidence, resilience, and a growth mindset for their future development.
Our online Careers Hub is accessible to current and past learners. It gives practical tips on writing CVs, filling out application forms, and attending interviews to ensure learners can continue their career once their journey with Woodspeen Training is over.
We truly understand our sector and with changes on the horizon we look forward to welcoming 2025 and seeing where it may take us.
