Work Readiness and Employability
Work readiness is moving up the agenda
Preparing young people for employment is becoming an increasingly important national priority. The Milburn Review highlighted growing concerns about youth disengagement and the transition from education into work, while government research found that 73% of education professionals believe too little emphasis is placed on preparing young people for employment. Ofsted’s current FE inspection framework also examines learners’ development and colleges’ contribution to meeting skills needs. For colleges, the challenge is therefore greater than delivering qualifications: it is demonstrating how effectively learners develop the skills, behaviours, confidence and experiences they need to progress successfully into employment and further opportunities.
Find out where you are with a 1-day audit.
Book a work readiness audit
1-Day Desk Review
A rapid, evidence-based review of your current approach to preparing learners for work.
£599.00 (inc. VAT)
FEthink reviews your existing work-readiness strategy, curriculum documentation, employability framework, employer engagement, learner entitlement and available impact evidence. We identify strengths, gaps, duplication and areas where the learner journey could be strengthened.
You receive a concise Work Readiness Review setting out key findings, priority recommendations and practical next steps.
Best for: organisations wanting an instant independent view of their current work readiness status position.
1-Day Onsite Deep Dive
See how work readiness is experienced in practice by learners, staff and stakeholders.
£2999.00 (inc. VAT)
Two FEthink specialists spend a day in your organisation exploring how effectively learners are being prepared for employment and progression. The deep dive can include discussions with leaders, curriculum teams, learners and employers; examination of learner experiences; and sampling of practice across selected curriculum areas.
We identify what is working, where practice varies and the barriers preventing work readiness from becoming a consistent part of the learner experience. We advise you where we see strengths and where there is inefficiency.
The day concludes with initial feedback and priorities for improvement, followed by a concise findings report.
Best for: organisations wanting to understand the reality of work readiness across provision and staffing roles.
Combined Desk Review & On-site Deep Dive
The most comprehensive assessment of how well your organisation prepares learners for the world of work.
£3449.00 (inc. VAT)
This combines FEthink's Desk Review and onsite Deep Dive, allowing us to compare organisational intent with what learners, staff and employers experience in practice.
We examine strategy, curriculum, employability development, employer engagement, learner experience, implementation and evidence of impact. The onsite work then tests and deepens the findings emerging from the documentation.
You receive an integrated Work Readiness Diagnostic, identifying strengths, gaps and inconsistencies, together with prioritised recommendations for improvement. This includes an assessment of staffing, process, partnership and financial factors.
Best for: organisations seeking a robust evidence base for strategic improvement, curriculum development and future investment.
Example - the combined review
Support options
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3-Day Change Support Package
Three days. Focused on the changes that matter most.
Following the Work Readiness Audit, FEthink helps you turn the diagnosis into targeted action. Your findings identify the weakest or highest-priority elements of work readiness, and you select three days of specialist support from eight intervention areas:
Work Readiness Strategy & Leadership,
Careers & LMI,
Essential Skills,
Professional Readiness & Confidence,
Work Experience,
Employer Partnerships,
Removing Barriers to Work, and
Impact & Destinations.
Each day is designed to address a specific area of weakness, working directly with the relevant leaders and teams to strengthen practice.
Rather than receiving recommendations and being left to implement them, you get focused support where the evidence shows it will make the greatest difference.
While organisations may choose to book this transformative option to correct a known issue or deficiency, we advise a health check against our audit framework for the most coherent and comprehensive assessment of your needs.
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5-Day Transformation Support Package
Five days to join up the whole system
For organisations seeking more than targeted improvement, the 5-Day Transformation Support Package provides a structured programme to redesign and connect the whole-college approach to work readiness.
Across five focused days, FEthink works with leaders and teams on:
Strategy and System Alignment;
The Learner Journey;
Work experience and Employer Partnerships;
Inclusion and Barriers to Employment; and
Impact, Evidence and Embedding.
Each stage produces a practical organisational output, building towards an integrated Work Readiness Strategy, Impact Dashboard and 12-month Action Plan.
The aim is to move beyond isolated employability initiatives and create a coherent, measurable system in which curriculum, employers, learner support and leadership work together to improve progression into employment.
We encourage organisations to book one of our audits first to obtain the most comprehensive assessment of their work readiness position.
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Transformation modules
Organisations can book individual transformation modules to address specific work readiness gaps:
Work Readiness Strategy & Leadership
Turn work readiness into an organisational priority with clear ownership.
Careers & Labour Market Intelligence
Embedding Essential Skills
Professional Readiness & Confidence
Work Experience
Employer Partnerships
Removing Barriers to Work
Impact & Destinations
Work Readiness - Provider Brochure
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The FEthink Work Readiness Audit is an evidence-led diagnostic that assesses how effectively a college prepares learners for employment. It evaluates 32 criteria across eight connected domains covering leadership, careers and LMI, essential skills, confidence and professional readiness, work experience, employer partnerships, inclusion, and outcomes. The framework reflects the strongest recurring themes across the research base: joined-up leadership, meaningful employer engagement, equitable access, practical preparation and measurable destinations.
The audit can combine a desk review of policies, data and evidence with an on-site deep dive involving staff, learners and stakeholders. Each criterion is rated Inadequate, Emerging, Established or Strong, producing an eight-domain RAG profile, spider diagram and practical recommendations.
1-day Desk Review: £599.00 (inc. VAT)
1-day On-site Deep Dive (two consultants): £2999.00 (inc. VAT)
Combined Desk Review & On-site Deep Dive: £3449.00 (inc. VAT)
Book our train-the-trainer workshop
FEthink also provides in-house train-the-trainer support for colleges and training providers on how to use and interpret our work readiness audit tool.
Suitable for Quality Teams, Learning Coaches, Advanced Practitioners, Heads of Department and Directors of Learning.
A cost-effective, sustainable approach that empowers staff to lead work readiness change.
1-day workshop for up to 12 persons: £1599.00 (Inc. VAT)
Our Work Readiness Team
Dr Maxine Room CBE
Dr Maxine Room CBE is a distinguished former CEO and Principal of several major further education colleges, with extensive expertise in strategic leadership, inclusion, curriculum and organisational improvement. She has long championed education and skills as routes to opportunity, social mobility and sustainable employment. Maxine plays a leading role in the Black Further Education Leadership Group where she supports, mentors and develops Black and ethnic minority leaders.
Maria Navarro
Maria Navarro has 21 years of experience working as an Ofsted HMI in further education and was one of the architects of the 2025 education inspection framework. She supports colleges, LEAs and training providers with understanding and applying the inspection framework to their practice, and is an expert in inspection methodology. Maria specialises in how providers are evaluated on work readiness and employability skills.
Helen Groves
Helen Groves brings 40 years’ experience across Further and Higher Education, with a strong focus on quality, curriculum and learner progression. She spent 30 years as an OI inspector across FEFC, TSC, ALI and Ofsted, alongside four years reviewing higher education for the QAA. She is a former Deputy Principal for Curriculum and Quality and Chief Executive of a regional Learning Consortium. Helen currently serves as an independent board member at two universities, with a particular focus on higher-level apprenticeships.
Dave Baber
Dave Baber is an experienced Further Education and skills specialist, Ofsted Inspector and quality improvement adviser, with extensive expertise in inspection, apprenticeships, vocational education and employer-responsive provision. He has undertaken inspections across colleges and training providers and is recognised for rigorous pre-inspection reviews and practical improvement advice. He brings a strong focus on employability and progression, helping providers strengthen learners’ understanding of employer expectations, professional behaviours, interview preparation and routes into sustainable work.
Tony Davis
Tony Davis is one of the further education sector's most respected specialists in quality improvement, pedagogy and inspection. With almost four decades of experience as a teacher, senior college leader, Adult Learning Inspectorate Lead Inspector and Ofsted HMI, he has supported more than 160 education and training providers to strengthen teaching, leadership and organisational performance. Tony is renowned for his innovative, evidence-informed approaches to self-assessment and whole-organisational improvement.
Dr Adam Dwight
Dr Adam Dwight is a Teacher Educator, Digital Innovator and researcher with around 30 years’ experience in Further Education. He specialises in vocational education, employability skills, work readiness, employer engagement and digital innovation. His research spans equality, organisational practice and the pedagogical implications of AI.
Dr Paul Tully
Paul Tully has 30 years experience working in further education, and 20 years as a teacher trainer, quality manager and professional development consultant. He is also the former Associate Director for Policy & Research at the Education and Training Foundation, where he co-authored ETF's professional standards for teachers. He is the Chief Executive of FEthink and specialises in systems thinking, data analytics, teacher education and professional culture.
Isabelle King
Isabelle King is a safeguarding and workforce-development specialist with over 30 years’ experience across education and the youth sector. She has led safeguarding, Prevent and organisational learning at strategic and operational levels, including work with the Education and Training Foundation. An experienced teacher trainer, she has designed and delivered PTLLS programmes, safeguarding training and development for staff supporting young people.
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