Teaching Educationally Creative Kids (T.E.C.K)

August is the month of exam results. Young people across the country will have received their grades and may now be wondering, ‘What now?’

This is a daunting question for anyone, even more so for those who may struggle to reach their full potential within the more mainstream educational environments, or those who may have special educational needs. Which brings us to this month’s IMI Centre Spotlight on T.E.C.K (Teaching Educationally Creative Kids).

The Beginning of T.E.C.K

T.E.C.K was founded back in July 2015 by Owner and Managing Director, Wayne Derbyshire. Wayne worked in the post-educational sector for over 20 years, delivering apprenticeship programmes, as well as full time motor vehicle and motorcycle courses with the IMI.

To begin with, T.E.C.K worked with five Leicestershire Secondary Education and Inclusion Partnerships (SEIPS) and offered bespoke vocational training programmes within automotive. These programmes were provided to all schools and local councils in the Leicestershire area.

Becoming an IMI Approved Centre

In 2016, T.E.C.K became an IMI Approved Centre, delivering accredited motor vehicle qualifications from Entry 3 to Levels One, Two and Three. In August of that year, Wayne came together with others to create the supporting charity Innovation to Inspire Trust. The charity’s mission statement is “To provide knowledge, inspiration and practical teaching on technology education to all in the UK, including local communities with limited resources.”

Growth and Expansion

By 2017, following an increase in the number of staff at T.E.C.K, they were able to take on an apprentice, and gave this opportunity to one of their learners who had already attended their motor vehicle alternative training provision. Following this, T.E.C.K introduced a motorcycle provision, which proved to be a huge success and led to a dramatic increase in learners.

In the summer of 2019, T.E.C.K expanded their motor vehicle workshop increasing its capacity to accommodate more learners. It was around this time they were approached by County Hall to deliver motor vehicle qualifications to post-16 learners with an EHCP (Educational Health Care Plan).

"I am incredibly proud of the team that work without recognition, they encourage rather than dictate, they sympathise instead of judge, they guide instead of force and give unwavering pastoral support wherever it is needed."

Wayne Derbyshire, Owner and Managing Director

Supporting Post-16 Learners

The first group of post-16 learners with an EHCP started studying with T.E.C.K in 2020, with two full days dedicated to the post-16 programme and a further half a day to complete the functional skills and employability programmes.

What this means is T.E.C.K is playing a key role in providing opportunities for a wider community of learners, making automotive a more inclusive sector. Seeing as the automotive sector still has roughly 17,000 unfilled vacancies, helping people acquire the skills and inspiring young people to work in automotive is helping the sector in more ways than one.

A partnership with Homefield College saw T.E.C.K’s Special Schools provision grow, providing a third motor vehicle programme. This collaboration also provides T.E.C.K with an educational status regulated under Ofsted (rated "good").

T.E.C.K currently has around 78 learners passing through their doors every week throughout the academic year across their alternative training, post-16 training, and special schools provisions.

The IMI Connection

The IMI has been a very important part of the development of T.E.C.K, providing the foundational basis of all the qualifications. The structure of the courses and the help and support from the external verifiers to the administration staff helps learners develop and achieve their full potential.

The IMI are very excited to work alongside centres such as T.E.C.K to ensure everyone gets a chance to gain new knowledge and learn new skills. As our There’s More to Motor campaign demonstrates, providing opportunities to all is something we are very passionate about.

In Wayne's Words

"We do not just provide qualifications, we provide a safe place of belonging, achievement, development and growth for learners, staff and our own apprentices. Respect is taught and demonstrated every day; the staff are incredible role models for the disadvantaged learners they teach and help place our learners’ own values on themselves to achieve what was once thought impossible."