Research into attitudes and aspirations to HE with apprentices employed by Oxford Brookes University
LEAD ORGANISATION
Progress South Central
ADDITIONAL ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED
PROJECT SUMMARY
This research, undertaken by Progress South Central's HE/FE Liaison Officer based at Oxford Brookes University, involved face-to-face interviews with six apprentices employed by the University. The aims of the research were to:
- further raise the profile of apprenticeships at Oxford Brookes
- record the learner's experience of being employed by the University
- gather information on the future aspirations of these apprentice learners
- inform interviewees about higher education progression opportunities available to them (if they were not already aware of these) - for example, Foundation degree programmes
- identify if there were any specific problems encountered by these learners with regard to progression to higher education
Six apprentice learners were interviewed in July 2010. Of these, four were undertaking an apprenticeship in Business Administration, one in Hospitality and Catering and one in Amenity Horticulture. The learning providers of the six apprentices interviewed were Oxford & Cherwell Valley College (2), Abingdon & Witney College (1) and Intec Business College (3). Three of the apprentices interviewed had completed their apprenticeship and were now working for Oxford Brookes.
IMPACT
The apprentices interviewed were complimentary of Oxford Brookes' working environment in terms of support for undertaking assignments and other learning associated with the framework. All apprentices were positive about the structure of the apprenticeship programme and being able to earn while they learnt and having the opportunity to work at the University. There was also general agreement that it was helpful to have other apprentices working at Brookes with whom they could network (for example there is a particularly strong group ethos within the Business and Administration apprentices, who had discussed progression options with each other).
Several aspects were identified for development. The fact that Oxford Brookes does not accept Key Skills as equivalent to GCSE English, Maths or Science for entry onto any of its undergraduate programmes, including Foundation degrees, precludes apprenticeship students who have not taken GCSEs (even though Key Skills is part of their framework) from progressing further educationally at Brookes. There was also some general anxiety among those progressing from a level 2 Apprenticeship about whether they would be able to stay in employment at the University to complete the Advanced Apprenticeship. Some apprentices mentioned the perceived danger of being pigeon-holed as 'the apprentice' and thought it was a good idea to perhaps work in more than one departmental environment if starting from a level 2 Apprenticeship.
Finally, some apprentices still did not know much if anything about the educational opportunities available to them. The researcher has suggested that as part of their induction they could be directed to the new Oxford Brookes Associate College Partnership website which gives information on progressing on to a Foundation degree programme.
The research report has been circulated widely within Oxford Brookes University.