A TRAINING provider which creates employment opportunities for 3,500 learners each year is celebrating after a milestone Ofsted report.

Qube Learning, based at Milton Park near Didcot, was rated good by inspectors after a visit earlier this summer.

It was the first time the organisation had been assessed under the education watchdog's stricter inspection framework for "independent learning providers".

Commercial director Joe Crossley said he was delighted with the outcome.

He said: "You get a good feeling when you come to Qube that it is a business that wants to help other people.

"It is great when you are measured by Ofsted, it is a real endorsement.

"Our target is that learners will progress to the next level – we are focused on helping people to progress."

Qube offers apprenticeships in areas such as IT, business services, health and social care and hospitality.

It also provides traineeships, which are designed to give 16 to 24-year-olds the skills and vital experience they need to progress on to an apprenticeship or work.

Short courses that are recognised and accredited through the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Institute of Commercial Management are also available.

Traineeships aim to remove barriers to employment for young people.

Mr Crossley said: "There are probably two different barriers with trainees.

"A lot have social issues like a lack of confidence and self-esteem and have issues around transport.

"We will buy them bus fares and train tickets; we will make sure they have the right equipment and take away those barriers."

Mr Crossley added that with some older students they needed to update their maths and English qualifications as their original exams had been taken many years ago.

He said recent months had seen Qube engage with employers to provide students with a simpler route into employment.

He said: "We are really focused on employment engagement.

"We brought in a team of employment specialists who went out and met businesses to understand them and their values.

"We built our offer to match their needs.

"It has been really successful and Ofsted validated the work that we have been doing."

In the inspection report Ofsted praised Qube for the high rate of learners who successfully completed their programmes.

It said students rapidly developed high levels of maturity, confidence and vocational skills because of the high-quality of practical teaching.

Managers and staff were said to share good practice well and develop high-quality learning resources.

Mr Crossley said Qube was always seeking to innovate and move to the next level.

He said: "Degree-level apprenticeships are something we are looking at at the moment.

"We want to get students to progress to degree level apprenticeships, that is a big thing for us."