How are we positioning degree apprenticeships? Analysis of adverts

Fabian, Khristin; Taylor-Smith, Ella; Smith, Sally

Abstract

Degree apprentices are recruited by employers, rather than universities, reflecting their status as paid employees, first and foremost. This study analysed job adverts for IT degree apprenticeship roles to investigate the: skills, attributes, and qualifications employers listed; job responsibilities; and salaries offered. Degree apprenticeship job adverts were scraped, over a year, from English and Scottish official apprenticeship websites and subjected to content analysis (n=290). The findings highlighted a wide range of salaries, with nearly a third falling below the contemporary minimum wage; similar entrance qualifications for HE places, with few mentioning technical qualifications or direct entry routes; required skills and attributes resembled those that employers are seeking (and claiming to find lacking) in graduates and also the same skills that the apprenticeships claim to develop. Few provided good descriptions of what the apprentice would be expected to do. The findings can be used to support apprenticeship providers in influencing employers.

Citation

Fabian, K., Taylor-Smith, E., & Smith, S. (2021). How are we positioning degree apprenticeships? Analysis of adverts. In SRHE International Conference on Research into Higher Education

• Conference Name: SRHE International Conference on Research into Higher Education
• Conference Location: Online
• Start Date: Dec 6, 2021
• End Date: Dec 10, 2021
• Acceptance Date: Sep 30, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Nov 29, 2021
• Book Title: SRHE International Conference on Research into Higher Education
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2824926
• Related Public URLs: https://srhe.ac.uk/arc/21/SRHE2021-0057.pdf