Transparency and accountability win NETA a place on LCL Awards Inclusivity shortlist
28 Nov 2024
NETA, part of the Education Training Collective, made it onto our Inclusivity Award shortlist this summer.
NETA has been a training provider for 50 years, a recognised brand in the Northeast with an excellent reputation in the commercial sector. It merged with four other colleges in 2015, as part of the Education Training Collective and has since gone from strength to strength.
NETA offers courses to a wide range of learners: qualifications to give professional engineers industry accreditation and satisfy compliance criteria, courses to help them upskill and re-skill in new areas, as well as courses for new entrants.
Beside the commercially funded qualifications, NETA offers a two-year study programme for younger learners, which is government funded – preparing 16-18 year olds for apprenticeships or Higher Education. Work has just begun on a £14M NETA training centre at nearby Thornaby, which will open in 2026 and provide even better training facilities for its learners.
NETA’s efforts to promote inclusivity were recognised in the Spring of 2023 when they were given our Inclusivity Charter status. Compliance of ISO 9001 Quality Management and ISO 45001 Occupation and Safety Management Systems demonstrate the company’s ability to meet customer and regulatory requirements and demonstrate continuous improvement.
At NETA all curriculum content is inclusive, with course materials that reflect diversity and promote understanding. Courses are provided in multiple languages and non-native speakers are supported with language assistance programs. All learning materials and facilities are accessible to students with disabilities. This includes providing online content that adheres to accessibility standards.
There are safe spaces and multi-faith rooms where learners can express their identities and experiences without fear of discrimination or judgement and partnerships are made with local organisations and community groups to support educational opportunities for underrepresented groups. The centre has also invited local schools into the centre for taster days with the aim of encouraging greater numbers or girls in particular into STEM training. NETA has a strong Alumni network which connects its learners with alumni from similar backgrounds to offer career advice and networking opportunities.
One of the measures that drives the centre’s success is customer feedback and accountability, which helps shape the way courses are delivered and keeps standards high.
We spoke with Carol Richardson, NETA’s Quality and Compliance Manager to find out more:
“We actively seek feedback from our learners, who we like to call ‘commercial delegates’ rather than students. This information is collected at the end of every course, and we use our delegates’ comments to make continuous improvements. 99.96% of our learners would recommend NETA and we’re proud to have created the sort of environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.
“The fact we have a mix of younger and more mature learners is very positive. The professional approach that the older ones have towards learning definitely rubs off on the younger ones, which helps us maintain constructive behavioural attitudes.
“I regularly undertake teaching, learning and assessment walk-throughs at the centre so I am in constant touch with what’s going on and able to engage with the delegates and ensure all’s well.
“We all work hard to make the centre a comfortable environment, where learners feel confident to raise any problems they may have – and feel heard. We have a Quality Team that collects student feedback through a system we call Learner Voice and it’s great to hear they feel supported. One delegate recently said: “I haven’t been in a learning environment since leaving school and I’ve been really put at ease.” That’s wonderful.
“Every quarter we run learner surveys with 100% of students feeling safe, able to ask for help if their safety or wellbeing is at risk and respected and treated fairly by our trainers. We run quarterly staff surveys too. In 2017 the satisfaction rate amongst staff was only 70%, but we’ve worked hard to improve on this, and I’m delighted that it’s now 96%. That’s much better!
“Transparency and accountability are at the heart of our inclusivity goals and the progress we have made. I’m thrilled that LCL Awards’ judging panel has recognised our determination to make NETA a welcoming, safe place to train.”
To find out more about NETA, please click here.
NETA, part of the Education Training Collective, made it onto our Inclusivity Award shortlist this summer.
NETA has been a training provider for 50 years, a recognised brand in the Northeast with an excellent reputation in the commercial sector. It merged with four other colleges in 2015, as part of the Education Training Collective and has since gone from strength to strength.
NETA offers courses to a wide range of learners: qualifications to give professional engineers industry accreditation and satisfy compliance criteria, courses to help them upskill and re-skill in new areas, as well as courses for new entrants.
Beside the commercially funded qualifications, NETA offers a two-year study programme for younger learners, which is government funded – preparing 16-18 year olds for apprenticeships or Higher Education. Work has just begun on a £14M NETA training centre at nearby Thornaby, which will open in 2026 and provide even better training facilities for its learners.
NETA’s efforts to promote inclusivity were recognised in the Spring of 2023 when they were given our Inclusivity Charter status. Compliance of ISO 9001 Quality Management and ISO 45001 Occupation and Safety Management Systems demonstrate the company’s ability to meet customer and regulatory requirements and demonstrate continuous improvement.
At NETA all curriculum content is inclusive, with course materials that reflect diversity and promote understanding. Courses are provided in multiple languages and non-native speakers are supported with language assistance programs. All learning materials and facilities are accessible to students with disabilities. This includes providing online content that adheres to accessibility standards.
There are safe spaces and multi-faith rooms where learners can express their identities and experiences without fear of discrimination or judgement and partnerships are made with local organisations and community groups to support educational opportunities for underrepresented groups. The centre has also invited local schools into the centre for taster days with the aim of encouraging greater numbers or girls in particular into STEM training. NETA has a strong Alumni network which connects its learners with alumni from similar backgrounds to offer career advice and networking opportunities.
One of the measures that drives the centre’s success is customer feedback and accountability, which helps shape the way courses are delivered and keeps standards high.
We spoke with Carol Richardson, NETA’s Quality and Compliance Manager to find out more:
“We actively seek feedback from our learners, who we like to call ‘commercial delegates’ rather than students. This information is collected at the end of every course, and we use our delegates’ comments to make continuous improvements. 99.96% of our learners would recommend NETA and we’re proud to have created the sort of environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.
“The fact we have a mix of younger and more mature learners is very positive. The professional approach that the older ones have towards learning definitely rubs off on the younger ones, which helps us maintain constructive behavioural attitudes.
“I regularly undertake teaching, learning and assessment walk-throughs at the centre so I am in constant touch with what’s going on and able to engage with the delegates and ensure all’s well.
“We all work hard to make the centre a comfortable environment, where learners feel confident to raise any problems they may have – and feel heard. We have a Quality Team that collects student feedback through a system we call Learner Voice and it’s great to hear they feel supported. One delegate recently said: “I haven’t been in a learning environment since leaving school and I’ve been really put at ease.” That’s wonderful.
“Every quarter we run learner surveys with 100% of students feeling safe, able to ask for help if their safety or wellbeing is at risk and respected and treated fairly by our trainers. We run quarterly staff surveys too. In 2017 the satisfaction rate amongst staff was only 70%, but we’ve worked hard to improve on this, and I’m delighted that it’s now 96%. That’s much better!
“Transparency and accountability are at the heart of our inclusivity goals and the progress we have made. I’m thrilled that LCL Awards’ judging panel has recognised our determination to make NETA a welcoming, safe place to train.”
To find out more about NETA, please click here.