Degree Apprenticeships National Conference 2018 - 'Not for the likes of you'

www.AccessHE.ac.uk | @AccessHE | Wednesday 27 June 2018
Not for the likes of you:
An exploration into the dis/connection
between university recruitment,
access/outreach and apprenticeship teams
in promoting Degree Apprenticeships.
Dr Jamie Mackay, Deputy Head of AccessHE

2
Background
 Via WonkHE, David Way recently wrote about how in
just 6 months, attitudes to Degree Apprenticeships
have changed in the HE sector: Numbers, delivery
models, funding and quality…
 He advises that the ‘Apprenticeship’ profile needs to go
“up market” – to be attractive and relevant to young
people. To convince parents and employers.

3
Background
 Way also cites the need for a proper dialogue with HE:
Trust is still lacking; delivery costs; better understanding;
new business models, rates and bands; new forms of
employer engagement and perhaps a new positioning?
 And yet, the opportunities are out there:
Enhancing productivity; Social mobility; Industrial
Strategy; Levy surplus; Graduate employability; Career-
focused students…

4
Background
 So with all this, how are key HEI departments working
together to ensure Degree Apprenticeships are being
communicated effectively?

5
Background
 This research:
 Based on 67 responses (61% completion rate) to
online survey: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/degree-
apprenticeships-communications-survey (Now open until
5pm 31 July 2018)
 3 follow-up telephone calls
 Early findings and analysis.

6
Survey sample: How would you describe
your role?
(n=67)
9%
39%
5%
7%
21%
13%
6%
Academic
Apprenticeships
Employer engagement
Marketing & Recruitment
NCOP
Outreach
Other

7
Survey sample: How would you describe your
Organisation?
(n=67)
3%
21%
73%
3%
College HE
NCOP
University
Other

8
Survey sample: University alignment
(n=49)
14%
12%
8%
39%
27%
GuildHE
Million Plus
Russell Group
University Alliance
No alignment

9
Survey sample: Does your institution currently
employ apprentices?
(n=39; universities)
74%
10%
16%
Yes
Don't know
No

10
Survey sample: Does your institution currently
offer Degree Apprenticeship
Standards to employers?
84%
16%
Yes
No

11
Main findings: How do you currently feel about the
provision of Degree Apprenticeships?
(n=67)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
5 - Awful idea
4
3 - I'm neither for nor against them
2
1 - They are a great idea

12
Main findings : How do you currently feel about
the provision of Degree Apprenticeships?
 “I'm supportive of more choice for learners and businesses. DAs provide a non-
traditional learning style (at long last!) that is so alternative to the typical HE
experience that it will result in more diversity within the student population,
within the workplace and across sectors… With the right communication and
approach universities will be able to tap into a larger population for their
recruitment channels and have the ability to really make a difference in
community and society. It will force universities to develop programmes more
directly aligned to the labour market rather than pet projects and nice-to-
haves!... The financial incentive for learners (paid for fees by employer) is great
as long as it doesn't get seen as a loophole by savvy middle class parents!”
- ‘1 – They are a great idea’ response

13
 “The marketing rhetoric vs absence of evidence to suggest
these opportunities are going to 18 year old school leavers
from WP backgrounds.”
- ‘3 – I’m neither for nor against them’ response

14
 “They may be a good idea in theory. I am in favour of us trying
to narrow the gap which exists between academic and
vocational pathways. However, the limited success of this
initiative to date in terms of opportunities available to young
people and of similar previous initiatives such as the Diploma
shows that age old prejudices and preferences for academia over
vocational study in the UK are unlikely to change in the short-
term. A holistic and long-term approach towards education, IAG
and choices involving schools, the FE/HE sectors and industry is
what is required.”
- ‘4’ response

Ref. https://blog.prototypr.io/design-for-crossing-the-chasm-1c4d4c68a3f1
Main findings: How would you classify your institutional
position on Degree Apprenticeships? (n=36; universities)

16
Main findings: How would you classify your
institutional position on Degree Apprenticeships?
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Laggards
Late majority
Early majority
Early adopters
Innovators

17
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Late majority
Early majority
Early adopters
Innovators
No alignment Million Plus University Alliance GuildHE Russell Group

18
Main findings: Which of the following describe the
main functions your department performs relating
to Degree Apprenticeships? (n=42)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Mixture of functions
Other
Marketing/promo to prosp. employers
Marketing/promo to prosp. Apprentices
Employer engagement (B2B)
Design of Apprenticeship Standards
Delivery of Apprenticeship Standards
Administration of Apprenticeship Standards

19
Main findings: Which of the following describe the
main functions your department performs relating
to Degree Apprenticeships? (n=42)
“Other” responses:
 Outreach to schools and colleges (e.g. NCOP) [n=3]
 Representative body for academics in engineering disciplines:
Supporting members in developing their own good practice.
 Operational leadership
 Management and compliance systems set up
 Contracting, programme approval, admissions
 ESFA Compliance

20
Main findings: Which department is responsible for:
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Multiple
Marketing / Recruitment
External relations / B2B
Central support department
Apprenticeship team
Academic faculty or school
Employer engagement
Marketing to prospective employers
Marketing to prospective apprentices

21
Main findings: What three reasons would you cite
to help the case for delivering (more)
Degree Apprenticeships?
(n=41)
Address skills
gaps, 28
Employer
engagement,
21
Widening
access, 15
New income
generation, 14
Social
mobility, 13

22
Main findings: What three reasons would you cite
to help the case for delivering (more)
Degree Apprenticeships? [Continued]
Other, less popular reasons included:
 Regional economic growth (12)
 Graduate employability (11)
 Differentiation from competitors (5)
 Part-time provision (2)
 Mature learners (2)
 Graduate retention (1)

23
Main findings: Insights from three telephone
interviews
 One representative from a National Collaborative
Outreach Programme (NCOP) consortium
 Two representatives from different universities

24
interviews
 Workforce forecasting / planning
 Regional insights and partnership working
 Marketing to prospective apprentices
 when not in the right ‘team’
 establishing new contacts (esp. schools, colleges)
 Impartial Information, Advice and Guidance gaps…
 Existing employees
 Consistent outbound and inbound messaging

25
interviews
 Lacking a ‘national campaign’ and consistent messaging of
traditional HE versus all alternative forms
 Progression pathway mapping (Credit transfer and recognition of
prior learning)
 The ‘Why’ for those HEIs engaged in DAs:
 It’s the right thing to do
 Financial viability
 In an enviable position to invest.

26
Summary
 INreach as well as outreach (Do we do Apprenticeships?)
 Multiple HEI departments – not always the same ones!
 There is appetite for ‘Degree Apprenticeships’ but
frustration at speed / lack of progress / messaging
 NOTE: No one stakeholder being blamed; more about IAG.
 Most HEIs as ‘Early Majority’ – though note differences by
alignment

27
Summary
 DA ‘functions’ can sometimes be lumped on one department
and/or across multiple departments.
 Let’s not forget DA’s are actually offered by Employers!
 Opportunity for providers / departments to learn from each
other?
 Communication is key. I invite colleagues to come up with
some sort of Communications Strategy to facilitate more
productive working relationships.
 E.g. https://bit.ly/2AjW6YO (pdf)

28
About AccessHE
Member-led | Collaboration | Opportunities
A key division of London Higher and the largest network of its kind, AccessHE is the pan-
London organisation that aims to support the progression of under-represented groups
get in and get on in higher education (HE).
We do this by enabling HE institutions (HEIs), schools and colleges to achieve their
objectives on widening access to HE more efficiently and effectively.
With a strong membership of 26 HEIs and representation from schools, colleges and local
authorities across London, AccessHE is proud to be the conduit for a wide range of
collaborative projects and initiatives to help support under-represented groups through
their HE learner journeys (access – retention – success).

30
Thank you!
Dr. Jamie Mackay | Deputy Head of AccessHE
e. Jamie.Mackay@londonhigher.ac.uk
t. 020 7391 0686
w. www.AccessHE.ac.uk

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