Higher/degree apprenticeships and the diversification of transitions in England

Abstract

The relationships between apprenticeship and higher education vary internationally: unlike countries whose apprenticeships and TVET offer tertiary vocational progression, post-school education in England is dominated by universities. Professional or technical additions to the higher education system have generally conformed to the norms of established universities. Apprenticeships at higher levels now contribute to moves to create a second tertiary pathway, with degree apprenticeships now offering both a work-based route and a qualification at bachelor level. Concerns about access and permeability between ‘technical’ and ‘academic’ routes provided the basis for a study of possibilities for ‘bridging’ between work-based and existing higher education provision. The four examples studied succeeded in their primary aim of supporting higher progression but were less effective in supporting permeability across these education pathways. A deeper recognition of the differences among students and their knowledge is suggested as a precondition of effective bridging between formal or implicit sectoral divides.