UK Vocational Education and Apprenticeship: the good, the bad, and the ugly?

1. UK Vocational Education and Apprenticeship: the good, the bad, and the ugly? Alison Fuller and Lorna Unwin TUC Seminar November 22nd 2010

2. Apprenticeship within a Complex VET Landscape • Colleges, private training providers, workplace-based training, combination of sites and pedagogies • Qualifications - competence-based, knowledge-based, combination – high status to low status • Young and mature – 14-70 year olds • Multi-purpose – skill formation, ‘participation’ and qualification targets social inclusion, sector specific, occupation-specific • Multi-actors – Government, sectors, individual employers, Group Training Associations, Apprenticeship Training Agencies, professional bodies, inspectorates, awarding bodies

3. Scale of Apprenticeship in England • 5.2% of 16-18 year olds in apprenticeships • 1.5% in Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) • 3.7% in Apprenticeships (Level 2). • 25% in full-time study leading to vocational qualifications at Levels 1, 2 and 3 • Majority over age of 19 – ‘conversions’ • 12 sectors dominate – though approx. 150 apprenticeship frameworks available • 48% of starts female - but gender segregation by sector persists

4. Expansive-Restrictive Continuum • Expansive - ‘dual’ characteristics – identity of worker and learner, on and off-the-job, skill formation and qualifications with currency, platform for progression • Restrictive – accreditation of existing expertise/fast transition to productive worker, qualifications with limited currency • Key issue – relative roles of employers and providers

5. Top 10 Sectors –starts 2008/09 • Customer Service • Business Administration • Children’s Care • Construction • Hospitality • Hairdressing • Engineering • Health and Social Care • Retail • Management

6. What works well? • Companies and public sector organisations with commitment to workforce development – apprenticeship aligned to business goals • Entry to apprenticeship flexible – caters for individuals at varying points in a transition/work/career trajectory • (Some) Qualifications recognised for different purposes – labour market, FE and HE • Workplace learning accredited and valued

7. Example: New forms of Apprenticeship in Creative and Cultural Sector - Manchester • Intermediary agency (VisionMedia) - negotiate framework & partner responsibilities, secure funding, recruit apprentices, monitor partner responsibilities & apprentices’ development • VET providers – design bespoke inter-disciplinary content, integrate content & work placements • Employers – negotiate work placement, identify learning processes & mentor support, integrate placements & qualification outcomes • VET Outcome – Vocational Practice & Social Capital • Employment outcome – positioned for freelance work

8. Weaknesses • Variable quality – lack of consistency • Competence-based qualifications – may not improve basic skills or provide platform for progression • Provider-led - failure to secure employer commitment • Gender segregation – females in low-pay, low status occupations/sectors

9. New Developments New Challenges “Apprenticeships are at the heart of the system” (p. 7 BIS Nov 2010a) • Increase numbers - goal to increase 19+ starts to 200,000 per year by 2014/15 (140,600 in 2008/09) • Focus on expansion of L3 “In most sectors, an individual will not be considered to have finished their Apprenticeship journey until they have reached this level” (ibid p.17) • 2013/14 - Public funding for 24+ Apprenticeships stops, individuals to take out loans (p. 8 BIS Nov 2010b)

10. New Developments New Challenges • Expansion of Apprenticeships needed to meet demand created by raising of the participation age to 17 in 2013 and 18 in 2015 • Goal to improve progression from L3 to L4 Apprenticeships or HE but, • Mismatch between L3 qualification currency and requirements of a) HE and b) professional bodies • Glass ceilings and ladders with missing rungs • Apprenticeship as final stop or way station – challenge for UK and German systems?

11. References • DBIS (2010a) Skills for sustainable growth: strategy document, full report, Department for Business Innovation and Skills. • DBIS (2010b) Further Education – New Horizon Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth: strategy document, full report, Department for Business Innovation and Skills. • Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2010) Fuller, A. and UNWIN, L. (2010) ‘Change and continuity in apprenticeship: the resilience of a model of learning’, Journal of Education and Work, 25(5): 405-416. • Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2008) Towards Expansive Apprenticeships, A commentary, ESRC/TLRP, London: Institute of Education. • Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2003) Learning as Apprentices in the Contemporary UK Workplace: Creating and Managing Expansive Participation, Journal of Education and Work, 16 (4): 407-426 More info: a.fuller@soton.ac.uk; l.unwin@ioe.ac.uk