PLAN ESTRATEGICO DEL CASO ESTUDIO

This section of the report considers the completion rates of trainees undertaking their knowledge and competence qualifications at FE colleges and distance providers. Not all interviewees were able to share information relating to completion rates, however, more insights into completions rates were offered by interviewees from employers, covered in the work stream 2 findings, and in the survey of recently registered pharmacy technicians: work stream 4 findings.

3.11.1 FE colleges

The majority of FE colleges were able to share information about their completion rates in recent years. A few interviewees were not able to share this information because they had recently started their position, the data was unknown to them or they did not agree to share this information. Overall, interviewees from FE colleges that discussed completion rates stated that there were very few issues with trainees leaving the course and completion rates were considered to be very high, or near perfect in recent years.

“We’re looking at this year between 90 and 100 per cent. We have had one person who had to withdraw because they’ve moved location, so really that was a bit unavoidable.”

59 Whilst completion rates could be considered high, it did happen that a very small number (e.g. one or two) of trainees dropped out of the course. For example, one interviewee acknowledged that their FE college may lose a couple of people near the start of the course and that they were attempting to address this with the recruitment/admissions process.

“Usually, we usually, yeah. I mean, last year we had…I think we lost two last year, one very young girl that I don’t think perhaps fully appreciated what the course was and just sort of started to miss lessons and then sort of just didn’t come back, and we’re not quite sure where she disappeared to, we couldn’t get contact with her again, and the other one actually got a place at university to study pharmacy, so she’s still in the system but she decided she’d rather do that than perhaps still take up the place on the college course, but I would say, yeah, it’s not that common that we lose people, but I’d say in the last couple of years we’ve maybe lost one or two each year, but we sort it out with…we’re trying to tackle that at the recruitment point now, to make sure that we are actually attracting the right people.”

FE college 16

Where there were instances of trainees dropping out of the course this was generally attributed to factors outside of the control of the college. Whilst one cannot know the exact reason without speaking with the individual leaving the FE college, interviewees usually described how some trainees had personal issues that they were dealing with, or that the qualifications and job role was not what they had anticipated. One interviewee described how some trainees may not have anticipated the amount of work required of them to complete the qualifications.

“It’s generally that the course is very intensive, obviously, and some students don’t bear in mind how intensive it is, and also the professional rigor that’s expected within the workplace.”

FE college 7

“I’ve just looked back over the last couple of years and we’ve had one each year that, for one reason or another, hasn’t succeeded, you know, for perhaps career change, may have decided it’s not for them and moved on, but it’s, sort of, averaged over the last, I would say, three or four years of one a year.”

3.11.2 Distance providers

A few of the distance providers (distance providers 1, 2 and 3) could not provide figures for the number of trainees that had not completed their course: two interviewees did not hold this information and another (distance provider 2) stated that their organisation had not had a complete cycle of trainees finish their courses.

Distance providers 4 and 6 stated that the majority of trainees completed the course and that completion rates were high. One of these interviewees, from a large distance provider, explained that some trainees took longer than the two years it would commonly take for trainees to complete training. Therefore completion rates for the course would rise even higher when considering those completing them beyond the two years. Reasons for the protracted time for completion were considered to be, for example, taking maternity leave or completing functional skills (English and maths) as an apprentice.

R: “Within two years we get about an 88 per cent completion rate, but it increases to 92 per cent between two and three years.”

I: “So some people just take a little bit longer.”

R: “That’s it. I mean, it’s for a number of reasons: breaks in learning, maternity leave, varying other extenuating circumstances, really. Some just need that little bit longer, you’ll know, it’s a big course particularly if they’re doing functional skills as well.”

Distance provider 4

In contrast, one participant from a smaller distance provider that was interviewed had a particularly poor completion rate when they were offering the level 3 qualifications. They had since stopped enrolling further trainees because of this.

R: “We only had a 25 per cent completion rate.” …

I: “Okay, so over the years it’s been quite a low completion rate?”

R: “Very, yes, which again is the reason why we’re not putting other people on.”

Distance provider 5

Explanations for why trainees did not complete their qualification were considered by interviewees, even those that could not provide information about completion rates. In

61 general, they described how individuals studying for the qualification may have left pharmacy to perform a different role or for personal reasons.

“The vast majority have been due to changing employer or just not carrying on that particular line of work. There have been a few who have gone for personal reasons.”

Distance provider 2