3.17 The Department aims for new core training to reduce the training gap between the skills of aircrew finishing training and those needed to use front-line aircraft. This gap is to be closed progressively as students pass through training. For example, by introducing them to digital cockpits and aircraft management systems earlier in their training. To measure progress in reducing the skills gap, the Department will need an agreed and measurable way to assess quality. As well as qualitative assessment of student ability, this could include analysing:
• changes in first-time pass rates for training;
• volumes of re-fly rates or refresher training needed; and
• overall student failure rates.
3.18 We sought to establish how the Department monitors quality as students pass through training. We found that the Department was not systematically monitoring quality throughout training in a measurable way to identify which factors affect it, or to prioritise investment. The focus of training is to train aircrew to the required standard by the end of each stage. There are periodic reports and discussion of student performance, but there is no consistently applied approach to assess quality overall and no tracking of overall student performance over time.
3.19 Operational training units can provide feedback on student quality through the Royal Air Force's customer executive boards, where operational training units and representatives of flying training discuss training system performance. We found evidence of student performance and course suitability being discussed at these meetings.
3.20 Ascent attend customer executive boards covering those areas of training for which they are responsible. It is unclear what status these meetings have in contractual terms and whether the feedback is considered to be formal. For example, Ascent is required to give quarterly performance reports for training it undertakes (currently, advanced jet and rear-crew stage 1 training). The reports have sections for data on student performance in operational training, which they undertake after leaving Ascent-run core training. These reports state that Ascent has had no formal feedback from these units on its students so far.