Degree Apprenticeships Research Articles

Improving assessment for work-based learning and degree apprenticeships in business through a co-designed peer review process

Involving students in peer review has substantial benefits for students’ learning and development and, more pragmatically, for staff workload. This paper reports on a student-led effort to co-design a peer review formative assessment task. The assessment is part of a personal development module within a higher education degree apprenticeship programme delivered via blended mode by a business school in South-East England. This case study on student-staff partnership offers a description of the process and a reflection on the impacts from both the student and staff perspective. It suggests that student co-design and peer review activities complement work-based learning, effectively bringing the prior experiences and academic skills of mature/professional students into the classroom.

Use of Focus Groups and Reflexive Thematic Analysis to Uncover the Essential Conditions for UK Built Environment Degree Apprenticeships

ABSTRACT Degree Apprenticeships within UK Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) organizations present a raft of unprecedented opportunities. However, little is understood on precisely how AEC Employer Organizations (EO’s) truly engage with Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) in order to create “meaningful” Built Environment Degree Apprenticeships. Understanding this challenge and minutia of this engagement forms the starting trajectory of this work. To do this, and informed by Boundary Object Theory, an interpretivist approach was used to capture qualitative data from transdisciplinary focus groups – representing domain experts from AEC/HEI sector bodies. Primary data was evaluated using reflexive thematic analysis. An integrated inductive/deductive approach was used to examine nuance, subjectivity, understanding and meaning. Research findings culminate in the form of a thematic map, highlighting four essential conditions to support the delivery of UK AEC DA’s; specifically, the need for: (i) Onboarding, (ii) Structure (iii) Cooperation, and, (iv) Infrastructure. These findings identified that the knowledge needed to support engagement goes beyond existing acknowledged boundaries – ergo, that the corollary impact of these essential conditions require much deeper understanding than first thought. These findings form part of a wider study, the results of which will be reported in later works.

Revolutionising workforce training: The impact of a Degree Apprenticeship in Therapeutic Radiography

Revolutionising workforce training: The impact of a Degree Apprenticeship in Therapeutic Radiography

The medical doctor (degree) apprenticeship

In this article we explore the United Kingdom context of apprenticeships and the history of development of the use of the term apprentice in medicine. We describe the development of the Medical Doctor Degree Apprenticeship (MDDA) in England and how Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has approached the development of the MDDA. We explore the rationale for developing the MDDA in Essex, the structure of the apprenticeship at ARU (which comprises 20% of employed time in NHS work and 80% in education undertaking the medical degree), the challenges and issues we encountered and mitigations we put in place. We describe the importance of stakeholder engagement (especially with direct entry medical students, medical professionals, and members of the university staff). The role of the employer is critical to the development and delivery of MDDA. The important role of regulators in developing and monitoring MDDA is the complexity of funding arrangements. Finally, we offer reflections on the development journey thus far.

Implementing work-based assessments in a level 7 data analytics digital degree apprenticeship: challenges and lessons for HEIs

This paper explores the incorporation of work-based learning in the Digital and Technology Solutions Specialist (DTSS) Master’s degree apprenticeship programme in a London-based Higher Education Institution. Specifically, innovative work-based assessments are introduced aiming at utilising workplace resources while meeting academic requirements. Challenges highlighted include balancing academic requirements and business needs as well as supporting learners, employers and academic staff in embracing and implementing the work-based nature of the assessments without compromising academic standards and quality of learning. Lessons are drawn for higher education institutions that consider introducing similar programmes.

Conceptualising a model for provider-employer collaborations in quantity surveying degree apprenticeship programmes

Conceptualising a model for provider-employer collaborations in quantity surveying degree apprenticeship programmes

Supporting Degree Apprentices through the school/work/university transition: a social capital lens

This paper reports on the early stages of a PhD study into supporting Engineering Degree Apprentices in a UK University through their contemporaneous transition into work and study. After briefly setting the context and rationale for the study it considers the development of the research design and integrates this with the corpus of literature to develop a framework for the primary research developed from Laurillard’s Conversational Framework work and the ideas of social capital and habitus. The contributions of the overall research are noted under the Aims and Objectives section, work reported herein contributes by developing a unique framework for understanding the experience of Degree Apprentices in the UK.

Foreword

Never has there been a more dynamic period in higher education. The wide variety of demands and influences at personal, institutional and societal levels necessitate creativity in the development of pedagogy and scholarship. Engineering Education is no exception; the Engineering Education Research Network (EERN), a community of teachers, researchers, and practitioners seeks to critique, reflect, evaluate, and disseminate the innovative practices that enable Engineering Education to thrive whilst navigating the challenges of the current environment. These proceedings from the 2023 UK and Ireland EERN Annual Symposium illustrate a diversity of activities explored in and by the EERN community. The papers draw attention to the changing landscape of learning and teaching, emphasising the responsibility of Engineering Education to prepare our graduates to become professionals who innovate in industry, benefit society, and promote the planet. Hence this publication includes research and practice in the areas of Learning Approaches, Technology for Learning, Embedding Sustainability and Employability in Education, Learning in the Context of Degree Apprenticeships, and Enhancing the Student Experience. Working together, the community represented in this publication is enabling our students, tomorrow’s engineering talent, to flourish, thrive, and succeed. In exploring important areas that have evolved within Engineering Education this publication presents the ideal opportunity for a much-needed call to revolutionise Engineering Education so that what we are offering is fit for a new era; Engineering Education 5.0. It is time to challenge what is ‘usual’ and break from the safety of gradual progress by revisiting and problematising established engineering education research and practice to imagine and begin to shape what could be. As a community of engineering educators, we must welcome the possibilities that ‘change’ will inevitably bring; accepting new challenges and opportunities as they arise and providing our students with increasingly flexible problem-finding-and-solving skills and capabilities. Therefore, there is no better time for our community to be a Community; to work as a single, synergetic body of professionals through sharing ideas, collaborating across institutions, borders and disciplines to investigate and disseminate new ideas, leading the future rather than being led by it! Professor Robin Clark Dean, WMG University of Warwick, UK

Design and Development of a Professional Skills Coaching Framework for Engineering and Computing Degree Apprenticeship (DA) Programmes at Aston University

Aston University has provided Work-Based Learning (WBL) courses since the 1960’s. The introduction of Degree Apprenticeship (DA) levy funding in 2015 has led to a change of focus at Aston University from delivery of traditional WBL programmes to development of more than ten level 6 and 7 Engineering and Computing programmes in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS). These programmes were designed and developed organically over the years leading to different student support mechanisms and practice across the varying DA programmes. The growth of these programmes led to the establishment of the Aston Professional Engineering Centre (APEC) as a department in late 2020, overseeing all Engineering and Computing DA and non-DA programmes in the College. This, together with the regulatory aspects of DA programmes, in turn, led to investigating the historic role of the Professional Supervisor. This investigation combined with the prospective Ofsted New Provider Monitoring Visit (NPMV) in 2022 instigated a need for a shift from solely utilising professional supervisory roles for WBL activities to a consistent framework for skills-based, systems level thinking approaches, conducive to the corporate environment, via Professional Skills Coach adoption. This concept paper presents our innovative approach in supporting Engineering and Computing DA learners at Aston University by designing and developing a Professional Skills Coaching framework in 2022, underpinned by the pedagogical coaching approaches, as well as the way in which the model concept could be adopted by other STEM educators to support learners.

Lessons learnt from Degree Apprenticeship’s Design and Development Practice at WMG

Degree apprenticeships (DAs) are a new educational route that combine work-based learning with academic study. They offer the opportunity to gain an undergraduate or postgraduate degree while working towards a professional qualification. This paper shares the lessons we learnt during the course conception, design, and delivery of Undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) Degree Apprenticeship (DA) programmes at WMG. The focus will be on the aspects of quality assurance and student experience. The quality of the learning and teaching process is essential for the success of DA programmes. This practice report explores the development and implementation of DA programmes at WMG, focusing on quality assurance and student experience. It discusses the unique challenges and considerations in designing apprenticeship curricula that meet both academic and industry standards. The report emphasises the importance of putting students at the centre of education, establishing policies for teaching quality, and maintaining effective processes to ensure programmes success and continuous improvement.

From Formation to Evaluation: Optimising groupwork in STEM Degree Apprenticeships

Engineering degree apprenticeships provide three to six years of job opportunities and training that lead to university qualifications up to and equivalent of a postgraduate degree. Within an apprentice’s time in higher education (HE), many are required to complete groupwork projects which bring several benefits and some challenges. This paper explores the effects and limitations of group work in the context of degree apprenticeships whilst discussing a plethora of group selection and assessment method solutions. This includes student self-selection methods in comparison to teacher-selected and randomisation for group selection; a suitable method of selection should be unbiased and optimise advantages of collaborative working. Through understanding the most effective form of assessment for apprentices, an academic policy can be adapted and influenced – acknowledging the learning differences between undergraduate students and degree apprentices. As part of this work, a comprehensive literature review was carried and a survey was conducted and completed by the Bsc Digital and Technology Solutions students, BEng Applied Professional Engineering Programme students among others at the University of Warwick. The results of the survey provided quantitative and qualitative data surrounding group work. Furthermore, the paper suggests appropriate solutions to group work issues surrounding the effectiveness of group work for degree apprentices, optimal group selection-methods, group performance, ensuring equal contributions and assessment and grading methods. The paper addresses some of the problems encountered by apprentices during their studies such as the free-rider problem and unequal division of work - providing solutions towards minimising such problems, including the integration of web-based tools such as MS Planner.

Degree Apprenticeship Education for Future Engineering Leaders: Developing reflective practice with work-based learning.

The significant growth in demand and offerings for degree apprenticeships (DA) since their introduction by the UK Government in 2014 is shaping the development of the workplace learning environment. In support of this, educational reflective practices within the workplace, together with associated academic credit requires greater research focus. For level 7 postgraduate degree students, it is relevant to examine enhancing reflective practices for work-based learning and in doing so, this paper focuses on a specific Engineering Business Management Degree Apprenticeship case study. This research discusses the outcomes for students resulting from the postgraduate DA course, with an emphasis on their work-based learning and reflective practices, investigating the research question “how can an apprenticeship degree integrate work-based learning with reflective practice?” A sample group of students close to graduation were chosen for the intervention and asked two question types covering their positive experiences and potential improvement areas for informing future practice. The positive findings highlighted the benefits of work-based learning and reflective practice for the degree apprenticeship, including the application of learning directly into the workplace and the addition of skills and behaviour competencies, whilst still achieving the master’s level knowledge and learning competencies. Potential improvement areas focus on the challenges of understanding reflective learning in the workplace, the work-life balance combining further education and finally the additional support required from employees. The resulting recommendations for academics and course leaders encompass achieving reflective learning within the curriculum, designing courses to reflect the student’s time demands when including work-based learning, designing for the KSB’s (Knowledge, skills and behaviours) and understanding the wider student network of employer and workplace environment.

Data Scientist Knowledge and Skills Evaluation towards a Data-Driven Research Methodology

The modern business world increasingly requires a higher level of data science expertise as well as abilities in problem solving and data analytics. Data science is a broad and fast-moving field of methods, processes, algorithms and systems to extract insights from data. The University of Winchester has followed the guidance of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and worked in partnership with a number of international, national and regional employers in the design and development of its Data Scientist (integrated degree) programme, which leads to a Bachelor’s degree in Data Science. This degree apprenticeship supports students in gaining the knowledge and skills that are in demand by employers today and into the future, where working in multi-disciplinary teams alongside domain experts will often be the norm. IfATE specifies an End-point Assessment (EPA) plan to enable the apprenticeship to be completed in accordance with its Data Scientist degree apprenticeship standard. This paper considers professional practice and competence in data science and links the processes used in completing the EPA with domain-based knowledge and expertise. It reviews representative solution methodologies before demonstrating the applicability of a data-driven research methodology to discover insights and achieve organisational goals.

CSP2023: 261 - Learner perceptions of completing a BSc Degree Apprenticeship in Physiotherapy

CSP2023: 261 - Learner perceptions of completing a BSc Degree Apprenticeship in Physiotherapy

Developing future skills for the engineering sector: evidence from the UK

Shortage of workforce stifles innovation and increases project costs. Information gleaned from literature shows that the ageing workforce and inability to attract young people are reasons for labour shortages in the engineering sector. To address this shortage, several countries have created various programs, such as degree apprenticeship, to ease the process of recruiting, training and retaining young people. The current study seeks to: (i) uncover factors influencing the decision to sign-up for degree apprenticeship programs and (ii) unearth the factors affecting the outcome of degree apprenticeship programmes in engineering. Interviews were conducted to address the research objectives of the study. The findings indicated that awareness, covid-19 pandemic, funding, incentives [financial and non-financial] and diversity are key factors influencing the decision to sign-up for degree apprenticeship. Also, demand for engineering jobs, balance between theory and practical training, collaboration of stakeholders, leadership support, versatility of apprentice experience are the factors affecting the outcome of degree apprentices. Based on the findings, it is evident that raising awareness among stakeholders, such as career counsellors, and collaboration are vital for improving the supply of qualified young people in the engineering sector.

Creating authentic assessment in mathematics

Assessment of students’ mathematics knowledge within higher education (HE) has normally taken a very traditional approach. Closed-book assessments have long been the favoured mode of assessment (Iannone Simpson, 2011) which often requires students to recall facts, formulae, and methods. One could argue that this type of assessment is limited in its ability to effectively assess how well a student’s ability to authentically use mathematics has developed. Due to the recent pandemic, many institutions were forced to rethink their assessment methods so that they could be delivered online and remotely. As such, there has been a renewed sense of need for more ‘authentic’ assessments for mathematics-based programmes.In this paper, we will discuss our journey of creating more authentic assessments for apprentices enrolled on a new Data Science Degree Apprenticeship, particularly in mathematics/statistics. We will compare two years of delivery of the course; the first year of delivery which comprised of traditional assessment methods (coursework/exam) and the second year of delivery that used more authentic assessment methods. We will discuss the pros and cons of each model by reflecting on our practice and drawing on apprentices’ feedback.

Level 7 degree apprenticeships – a story of challenge, resilience and success

ABSTRACT This study explores the lived experience of both in-service and pre-service apprentices studying Level 7 apprenticeship programmes. Using qualitative questionnaires, this article facilitates a thematic analysis exploring how aspects such as: rationale for enrolment; study habits; prioritisation of workload; resilience and wellbeing are experienced by educators studying either an Academic Professional Apprenticeship or a Senior Leaders Apprenticeship programme. Results demonstrate a mixed landscape is apparent for Level 7 apprentices, with tangible differences, both within and between groups, exhibited regarding reason for enrolment and study habits. The challenge around balancing work-life priorities and the encroachment of work commitments on study time (and vice versa) are a common theme for both cohorts, with those who have better established working patterns and relationships more resilient to the challenges of Level 7 apprenticeship study.

Legal apprenticeships: Enhancing capabilities, wellbeing, and diversity in the profession?

AbstractThis original study presents findings from a study of members of the first cohort of legal degree apprentices. Introduced in the UK in 2016, legal degree apprenticeships (LAs) remove uncertainty towards legal qualification in an otherwise competitive graduate recruitment environment and could help to increase social mobility into the professions. We examine the impact of the LA pathway on the development of wellbeing and capabilities of apprentices and traditional law students through the following research questions: does it enhance wellbeing when instead of loans, debt and insecurity, aspiring lawyers have a salary, no debt and secure job prospects through an apprenticeship pathway to qualification; and does using a capability framework offer a meaningful lens for understanding the experiences on different pathways? The analysis adopts a capabilities approach, intersected with an inequalities lens, to explore interviews with 23 aspiring solicitors, from different social backgrounds and at different stages of progression on the traditional university and LA pathways in England. The interviews explored access to and experiences of both pathways, particularly how participants were able to develop and convert their social and cultural resources into key capabilities. This provided a meaningful way to make sense of participants’ experiences. Capabilities were enhanced for LA students by removing stress and uncertainty around employment. This wellbeing gain was corroded for some by long commutes into work—often centred in London. Future quantitative research could establish whether, on balance, the majority of LA students experience an overall wellbeing gain. The capability framework usefully showed how across the LA and university pathways, all participants valued agency and developing all capabilities. Social capital was a key resource for creating opportunity and a desired capability that participants sought to develop.

Conceptualising degree apprentice identity to enhance work-integrated learning

PurposeThe study explores Degree Apprenticeship Identity (DAI) conceptualisation to enrich understanding to enhance work-integrated learning (WIL). Lived experiences of degree apprentices (DAs) are examined, and a model of DAI developed to support teaching and learning interventions on this relatively new and significant programme.Design/methodology/approachIt draws pragmatically upon qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship from diverse backgrounds in a higher education institutes (HEI). Data were explored abductively, using thematic analysis to investigate common patterns that influence identity; investigating personal experiences, socio-economic and cultural background, educational context and social interactions.FindingsInfluential themes surfaced, including pride in work, supporting others, sharing experiences and belonging, facilitating DAI model formation. The model illustrates that DAI is composed of existing personal, necessary professional and power of learning transformation through social identity by interventions that encourage peer engagement, group reflection and group-actualisation.Research limitations/implicationsAs this is a small-scale exploratory study, it is not intended to be representative of wider populations, which results in generalisability of findings. Data were collected from a well-established closed cohort programme led by the researcher, previously programme director. Interviews generated a broad range of anecdotal evidence, surfacing valuable insights relating to DAI formation.Practical implicationsTo enhance WIL, tutors can foster social interventions that encourage peer dialogue, heighten DAs sense of self as capable learners and increase confidence growth.Originality/valueThe research provides a DAI Model, a fresh approach to understanding ways to enhance WIL for DAs through a stronger focus on group identity through social interventions. This preliminary model presents an opportunity for further research; other apprenticeships, larger and/or open cohorts.

Player, Purist, Pragmatist: a comparison of employability strategies in access to the solicitors’ profession via alternative degree pathways

ABSTRACT Degree apprenticeships offer a new route to a degree in UK higher education, with policymakers emphasising their social mobility potential to widen access to graduate professions. In this context, this article compares the employability perceptions and strategies of aspiring solicitors on traditional university and degree apprenticeship routes in England. Following Bathmaker, Ingram, and Waller (2013), we adopt the analogy of ‘playing the game’ to explore how aspiring solicitors negotiate opportunities and barriers as they seek to succeed in higher education and progress into the legal profession. Drawing on interview data with 23 aspiring solicitors, we consider how participants developed and mobilised existing and acquired capitals to position themselves for success in their future career. A novel typology of employability strategies is presented, expanding on the work of Brown, Hesketh, and Williams (2004) and Hancock, Hughes, and Walsh (2017). The typology reveals distinct understandings of the role of higher education, meritocracy and social mobility; and divergent strategies for enhancing employability. As degree apprenticeship routes expand in UK higher education and beyond, the typology provides a useful framework to compare transitions through higher education and into other competitive and historically elite graduate professions.