This document summarizes research on degree apprenticeships in Scotland, which integrate full-time work with university study to earn a bachelor's degree over four years. Workshops and interviews were conducted with apprentices and other computing students. Apprentices had diverse backgrounds and many years of work experience. They saw challenges in balancing work and study but valued networking with peers. While some applied learning at work, the integration of work and university study was still vague. Overall, apprentices expected a difficult journey but sought career advancement and material wealth through earning a degree.

1. Dr Ella Taylor-Smith, Dr Sally Smith,
@ComputingNapier
Degree
apprenticeships:
Apprentice
expectations and
emerging
perspectives
SRHE - Degree Apprenticeships: What does research tell us already?, 9th May 2018

2. Graduate Apprenticeships
• Introduced in Scotland in 2017.
• Funded by Skills Development Scotland (initially ESF funding)
• 4 year degrees in which students are in full-time work (Scottish degree is 4 years)
• 3 frameworks: Software Development, Information Technology Management for
Business, Cybersecurity
• One day on campus p/w, work-based learning within Professional Practice
modules
SRHE, 9th May 2018

3. Background
• SDS Technical Groups (mainly industry reps) established demand - identified
deficit of computer science graduates, especially within cybersecurity
• Technical Groups developed course frameworks
• SDS issued invitation to tender for places on frameworks – colleges &
universities
• Included was WBL ‘manifesto’
• Curriculum was to be employer-led
• In Scotland, no fees – can take out student loan
– Potential for widening access to students from debt-averse backgrounds.
• Open to all ages –i.e. including established employees.
SRHE, 9th May 2018

4. Research focus
• Students’ motivations and aspirations
• Students’ concerns
• Students’ experience of the GA
• Identity (as both employees and students)
• Identity (compared to other first year Computing students)
• WBL: interface/ integration between university study and work
The aspirations and experience of the apprentices (students) is missing from
much of the GA discourse.
SRHE, 9th May 2018

5. Method for rich picture workshops
with new students
• One workshop with new apprentices (n=22);
• Mirror workshop with 1st year on-campus
computing students (n=20).
• Each workshop:
– Survey (individual) about background, jobs,
motivations, aims, challenges.
– Rich Pictures (group; see right) about aims &
aspirations; desired outcome; worries.
SRHE, 9th May 2018

6. Findings: workshop survey
Demographics:
• Just over half of each group consider themselves to be middle class.
• About a third of each group: neither parent went to uni or poly.
• Apprentices more diverse in terms of age (1/3 over 26).
Paid Work:
• Half the GAs have been employed by their current employer for more than 18
months, including one employed for 28 years);
• 18.2% joined to do the apprenticeship.
• About a quarter of the on-campus group have a part-time job beyond uni (2/5 of
these are relevant to their degree); most of the others are looking for one.
SRHE, 9th May 2018

7. Findings: workshop survey
Aims
• GAs more likely to mention degree
qualification and, in terms of skills,
benefits to their employer.
• Both groups’ main skills objective is
coding/programming.
Worries
• All: learning and understanding.
• GAs: work/study balance, academic
environment, their job.
• On-campus: living away from home.
SRHE, 9th May 2018

8. Rich Picture themes: Hazardous Journey
• Both groups recognised that there would be challenges ahead (which is good).
• Pictured as a hazardous journey,
or a game.
GA RPs above
On-campus
students’
RPs left
SRHE, 9th May 2018

9. Rich Picture themes: material wealth
Wealth as aim, outcome and motivation, drawn by both groups.
GA RPs
On-campus
students’
RPs
SRHE, 9th May 2018

10. Rich Picture themes: money worries
The GAs did not mention money worries, but the on-campus group were concerned
about debt, becoming broke, paying bills.
On-campus students’
RPs
SRHE, 9th May 2018

11. Rich Picture themes: balance
• The GAs were particularly worried about achieving a balance between work and study
(and the rest of life).
• On-campus students noted the challenge & importance of sleep, relaxation, socialising.
Mirror students’ RPS
GA RPs
On-campus
students’
RPs
SRHE, 9th May 2018

12. Method: Life narratives
• In-depth semi-structured interviews with
our GAs.
• Questions aim to uncover chronological life
narrative leading up to apprenticeship and
current experience of GA.
• Focusing on background, identity (including
transitions), and work-based learning
(especially in terms of space).
• 8 interviews completed so far.
• Hoping to continue interviews throughout
course and repeat with new cohorts.
SRHE, 9th May 2018

13. Life narratives: initial findings
Note: the 8 interviewees so far had all been in their
job for at least 18 months prior to starting the degree
–they had a stable and established work identity
there.
• Time in current job: 18 months to 28 years.
• Range of technical skills, e.g. from self-taught but
experienced programmers to new-to-
programming.
• Academic qualifications from almost none to a
degree in another discipline.
• Half had done Modern Apprenticeships in IT.
SRHE, 9th May 2018

14. • Most interviewees had agreements to adapt their role to apply their learning for
Professional Practice module (e.g. work with another department).
• GAs discussed their work systems (etc.) with each other (regarding uni modules).
• Some began to apply university learning to their work (or at least to thinking about it).
• Understanding of WBL not currently explicit. (Not assessed yet).
Life narratives: initial findings – work- based learning
SRHE, 9th May 2018

15. Conclusions / implications
• Importance of understanding and considering the
student (apprentice) perspective and situation
throughout. Diverse.
• GAs expect challenging journey to get degree.
• End goal / identity skilled employee / manager,
with material wealth.
• GAs have current work identity, some with
extensive skills.
• GAs value uni cohort: e.g. sharing info about work
and study, making friends.
• Some uni / work integration,
but WBL still a bit vague.
SRHE, 9th May 2018

16. References
• Berg, T. and Pooley, R. (2013). Contemporary iconography for rich picture construction. Systems
Research and Behavioral Science, 30(1), 31-42.
• Berg, T., Bowen, T., Smith, C.F., and Smith, S. (2017). Visualising the future: surfacing student
perspectives on post-graduation prospects using rich pictures, Higher Education Research &
Development, DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2017.1325855.
• Bravenboer, D. (2016). Why Co-design and Delivery Is ‘A No Brainer’ for Higher and Degree
Apprenticeship Policy. Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, 6(4), 384–400.
• Jackson, L. M., Pancer, S., Pratt, M. W., and Hunsberger, B. E. (2000). Great expectations: The
relation between expectancies and adjustment during the transition to university. Journal of Applied
Social Psychology, 30(10), 2100-2125.
• Oettingen, G. and Mayer, D. (2002). The Motivating Function of Thinking About the Future:
Expectations Versus Fantasies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 83(5), 1198-1212.
• Shadbolt, N. (2016). Shadbolt Review of Computer Sciences Degree Accreditation and Graduate
Employability. London: BIS.
SRHE, 9th May 2018

17. Degree apprenticeships:
Apprentice expectations and emerging perspectives
Questions?
Dr Ella Taylor-Smith
Dr Sally Smith
School of Computing
Edinburgh Napier University
@ComputingNapier
SRHE, 9th May 2018