QUALITY AUDIT SUMMARY on Adept Secretarial and Training Services Limited Audit Date: 29 and 30 June 2009 Web Report Date: 1 September 2009 Provider ID: 8886
1 Objectives The audit aimed to obtain reasonable assurance that Adept Secretarial and Training Services Limited (Adept) is a sound and stable provider, has effective quality management systems in place, and is substantially achieving its goals and objectives as required by Quality Assurance Standard for Private Training Establishments, Government Training Establishments and Wānanga (QA Standard One). The results of this audit will contribute to the decisions made by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to confirm ongoing registration and accreditation, and the length of time until the next audit. An audit is a snapshot of the organisation s performance at a particular time. As such, it is not a guarantee of ongoing compliance and effectiveness. An audit is based on sampling and instances of non-compliance may remain undetected. 2 Scope The audit covered all elements of QA Standard One except 1.2.8 Research. Research was excluded because Adept does not offer degree courses. 3 Responsibilities Adept is responsible for meeting all requirements of QA Standard One by ensuring the quality of its management systems and the achievement of its goals and objectives. Under the Education Act 1989, NZQA is responsible for registering private training establishments and granting accreditation to organisations offering approved courses. 4 Background This was a scheduled audit at the organisation s sole site in Christchurch. Adept was previously audited in 2006 and met all requirements of QA Standard One. Adept provides 16 to 32-week Youth Training programmes for students aged 16-18 and Training Opportunities programmes for those over 18. Adept is accredited to offer training for the National Certificate in Computing (Level 2), the National Certificate in Computing (Level 3) and the National Certificate in Business Administration and Computing (Level 2). Adept is a Microsoft Authorised Desktop Training Provider and a Microsoft Office Specialist Training Centre, which enables learners to achieve Microsoft qualifications. Adept also provides short specialised training courses. At the time of the audit there were 66 students enrolled. Adept provides business services such as overload typing, word processing and digital transcription, and employment services such as curriculum vitae preparation and presentation. These services support Adept s financial viability. Adept is funded by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). Learners may also be funded by other agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development (through Work and Income). Page 2 of 5
5 Summary At this audit (2009), Adept met all but two requirements of QA Standard One. The two requirements not met related to the element of governance and management. Goals and objectives TEC has approved Adept s goals and objectives as outlined in the organisation s Investment Plan. Other business and training-related objectives are stated in Adept s quality management manual (QMM). Education-related goals and objectives focus on qualification achievement, learner achievement of credits, and destinational (of further education and employment placement) outcomes. Adept uses performance indicators as a means of measuring business and training successes. Governance and management Adept is owned by two directors, one of whom is directly involved in the day-to-day running of the organisation. It is the dedication of the directors in promoting a working and learning environment that successfully weaves management, staff and students in a family-like culture which has resulted in high staff retention and positive student feedback. The QMM is a coherent document which is utilised by staff and reflects the activities of the organisation. Adept has clearly defined roles and responsibilities for its organisation and staff which are outlined in the QMM and in job descriptions. Adept submitted the necessary financial documents to NZQA pre-audit; however, these documents were not submitted within the three month timeframe as required by NZQA. Adept has met TEC s financial reporting requirements. NZQA has granted Adept an exemption from student fee protection for Adept s training programmes because fees are not charged to the students. Personnel Staff were employed through a recruitment process that is consistent with that outlined in the QMM. Teaching staff have the necessary qualifications and skill base to teach adult learners and to assess against unit standards for which the organisation is accredited. Staff commented that they are happy with their conditions of employment and all have current, signed employment agreements. Since the last audit staff have participated in an annual performance appraisal process. This process is linked with professional development where areas of interest are identified, with the aim of improving teaching practice and promoting an even greater appreciation of individual student needs. Physical and learning resources Staff and student interviews indicated that they are satisfied with the teaching and learning resources. The recent replacement of Adept s computers has meant an increase in operational Page 3 of 5
speed that was noted as particularly impressive by staff and students alike. The tutors also commented that any resources requested are supplied without issue. Health and safety procedures are covered through the staff and student induction processes. Further details are outlined in the student and staff handbooks. Monthly occupational safety and health inspections are carried out, with any areas identified as problematic being addressed and noted as rectified. An accident register is maintained and followed through to ensure that the affected person has been attended to. Further, the fire warden and a current and certified first aid person support additional health and safety for all concerned. Learner information, entry and support Learner information is complete and covers numerous areas including support for students and the processes for appeals and complaints. Students commented on the welcoming nature of Adept for new students to ensure they are fully cognisant of the contents of the handbook including the expectations of Adept. Students are interviewed pre- and post-enrolment to ascertain the suitability and appropriateness of the potential training programme for individual students and to determine their training goals. Tutors meet students on a monthly basis to monitor student achievement through a learning pathway plan and to ensure that any learning needs are identified and discussed, including a plan to address the identified need. Literacy and numeracy support is encouraged by all staff. Students commented that the literacy and numeracy tutor is approachable and further commented that the one-to-one meetings with this tutor allow them additional time in order to achieve their learning goals. Development, delivery and review of programmes Programmes have been designed in accordance with QMM policies and procedures. Work experience placements are integrated into the various programmes and monitored to ensure student safety and academic progress. The students at the interview were highly complimentary of their tutors and said they are encouraged to progress at their own pace in an adult learning environment that resembles a workplace more than a school. They further commented that they have confidence in their tutors subject knowledge and teaching ability to help them achieve positive learning outcomes. These sorts of comments were consistent with the written feedback that is collected at four-week intervals. Programmes are reviewed through student feedback, weekly staff meetings and annual tutoronly days. Any areas that are identified for improvement or amendments are actioned in accordance with the QMM and in conjunction with the training manager. Adept also contacts employers who supervise work placements for students to ensure that Adept is meeting the needs of the industry. Assessment and moderation Students commented that they are assessed informally on a daily basis. More formal assessments involve a pre-assessment meeting to discuss course outcomes and to ensure that students are prepared and ready for any given assessment. Page 4 of 5
Adept has a comprehensive and sound internal moderation process. As part of the annual moderation plan, tutors take part in regular pre- and post-assessment moderation activities to ensure that assessment tasks are fair and that decisions are systematic and consistent. Internal moderation also extends to another PTE where assessment decisions are again moderated as part of an external verification process. Follow-up meetings are held with the assessors as a means of offering feedback and for the purposes of improvement. Adept has met the national external moderation requirements of NZQA. Notification and reporting on learner achievement Students commented that they receive both formal feedback at monthly pathway planning meetings and informal daily feedback to ensure they are on track with their training goals. Successful completion of learner achievement is recorded on a student database and is backed up daily. Weekly back-ups are taken off site to ensure data security. Adept s has a system for transferring student credit achievement to NZQA, which is regular, timely, and accurate,. Achievement of goals and objectives Adept is meeting its goals and objectives. In 2008, those students enrolled on the Youth Training programmes and the Training Opportunities programmes exceeded their destinational outcomes as set by TEC. Seventy-nine per cent of students who commenced their studies in 2008 have achieved a national certificate. Ninety-five per cent of students have also achieved 20 or more credits and 79 per cent have achieved 31 or more credits. Adept regularly collects feedback from its key stakeholders in order to confirm its effectiveness as a training provider. Adept has also carried out a labour market analysis of the professional skills and attributes required by industry to ensure that programme content is current with the computing industry and is meeting employer needs. Adept s internal review process is ongoing to ensure that the QMS is complete, that it is being implemented and that it is still relevant and current to the organisation and its needs. Closing statement The audit confirmed that Adept is providing a sound and stable learning environment and is meeting the needs of both staff and students. It was evident at the audit that Adept has invested in staff development to better ensure that students get the best possible training for the programme they are enrolled in. This was demonstrated at the student interviews where students stated that Adept exceeded their expectations and all would recommend the school to others. Other positive feedback from stakeholders confirmed that Adept is committed to training and to retaining staff who are mindful of the significance of producing positive outcomes for their students in a supportive environment conducive to learning and training. Page 5 of 5