Recent Training Standards Council inspections demonstrate that work-based training and assessment is flawed. Its chief inspector, David Shirlock, pointed out issues at the Department for Education and Employment’s conference on external verification of national vocational qualifications.

He cited slow progress of trainees; no internal verification in the workplace; witness statements in the same handwriting; sub-contractedunsupervised assessment, poor control of sub-contracting; no performance data, and poor records.

Mr Slater and all those who criticise other training providers and colleges should first put themselves through the TSC inspection process. More training centres have achieved poor grades in the TSC inspection than high ones.

Jackie Cox, Head of school of hairdressing, Basingstoke College of Technology, Worting Road, Basingstoke