Recent evidence shows that participation on the employer based Early Years (EY) higher education care related programmes is diverse in terms of age, race, ethnicity, entry qualification and professional roles (NUS, 2012). The focus of this presentation is to illustrate a diverse group of students emotional experiences and their battle to ‘fit in’ to the academic environment while studying on the employer based higher education programmes. Specific attention was paid to the way these students were negotiating their own identity and beliefs through juggling academic requirements with the demand of paid work, and family commitments.

1. Introduction
Background and Context
References
SRHE Newer Researchers’ Conference, 8th December 2015, Newport
For further information please contact Eva Mikuska at e.mikuska@chi.ac.uk or visit the University of
Chichester website http://eprints.chi.ac.uk/profile/421
The research
Data Analysis and Initial Findings
Recent evidence shows that participation on the employer based
Early Years (EY) higher education care related programmes is diverse
in terms of age, race, ethnicity, entry qualification and professional
roles (NUS, 2012).
The focus of this presentation is to illustrate a diverse group of
students emotional experiences and their battle to ‘fit in’ to the
academic environment while studying on the employer based higher
education programmes. Specific attention was paid to the way these
students were negotiating their own identity and beliefs through
juggling academic requirements with the demand of paid work, and
family commitments.
Jackson, S. and Jamieson, A. (2009) ‘Higher Education, Mature Students and Employment Goals: Policies and
Practices in the UK’, Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 61 (4) pp. 399–411.
Mukadam, Y. and Mikuska, E. (2016) Partnership with employers and developing the practice of staff in Trodd,
L. [ED] The Early Years Handbook for Students and Practitioner. An Essential Guide for the Foundation Degree
and Level 4 and 5. London: Routledge
National Union of Students (NUS) (2012). Never Too Late To Learn; Mature Students in Higher Education.
London: Million+
Students’ voice shed light on factors that may improve the experiences of
students on employer based EY programmes, such as:
• Paying more attention on the cultural differences, race, age, and existing
qualification especially for those who are volunteering in the sector.
• Taking into consideration when individual and institutional achievements
are being assessed.
• Clarifying with employers that the FDA qualification is the key driver in
recognising the early years workforce as a profession in its own right.
• The lasting impact of the course on work based learners has inspired
them to develop their practice further leading to a continuum of support
for fellow staff within their settings.
Through students narratives the relevance
of employer based, widening participation
and the university policies were examined in
light of their suitability.
… I was not invited to staff meetings. In
fact, I was told I am not allowed to come,
and I wasn’t allowed to talk to the
parents. Is it because I am a volunteer?
Or is it because I am visibly different?
FDA Y1 student
The above quote indicates that this
particular employer failed to offer the student
the opportunity to develop in new directions.
Jackson and Jamieson’s (2009) study
demonstrates that limited employer support
is a considerable barrier to student success,
and that this is ‘particularly pertinent to
mature women who may have taken career
breaks’ (p. 16).
33 FDA students were asked to write a reflective account on their experience
about their academic achievement and work based learning (WBL).
Keywords: early years, higher education, policy, cultural differences
Achieving Early Years Professional Status – diverse group of
graduates at the University of Chichester in 2011.
Early Years practitioners in ‘action’
In the UK context:
• Mukadam and Mikuska (2016) argues that value and the purpose of the
employer based Foundation Degree in Early Years received a differing levels
of engagement and understanding by the employers.
• Taylor et al. (2006) assert that employer confidence about supporting work
based learning varied with some having a lack of prior understanding of
work-based qualifications.
• These findings are relational to a wide range of qualifications, cultural
differences that exist between ethnicities employed in the EY sector.
Ethnicity/Natioanlity No. Job role
British/English 16 owner/manager/practitioner/volunteer/child minder
Bulgarian 1 practitioner
Chilean 1 deputy manager
Ghanaian 1 practitioner
Hungarian 3 practitioner/owner
Jamaican 2 deputy manager
Japanese 1 volunteer
Nigerian 1 volunteer
Pakistani 3 volunteer/owner
Polish 2 volunteer/pratitioner
Romanian 2 volunteer
Total 33