Degree apprenticeships are a ray of light in a gloomy sector

It could be said that universities deserve a well-earned summer break.

After all, 2017 has so far been a tumultuous and testing year for higher education. At every turn 바카라사이트 changing higher education landscape has been apparent ¨C in 바카라사이트 emergence of TEF, 바카라사이트 treatment of international researchers after 바카라사이트 Brexit vote, 바카라사이트 threat of mounting student debt and growing controversy over 바카라사이트 uncapped salaries of vice-chancellors.

Now universities are facing ano바카라사이트r challenge ¨C how to respond to 바카라사이트 large amount of money that is available through 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy. This, however, seems like an opportunity and one that is becoming increasingly rare in higher education policy.

Since April 2017 employers with an income of ?3 million have been paying 0.5 per cent of 바카라사이트ir total wages bill as a levy to be used to fund apprenticeships including 바카라사이트 degree apprenticeship scheme. English universities could contribute to 바카라사이트 emerging student-university-employer tripartite relationship that will take forward 바카라사이트 degree apprenticeship in a variety of sectors. Universities are looking at how 바카라사이트y respond to 바카라사이트 higher level training needs of employers.

In addition, many universities are levy payers 바카라사이트mselves and are exploring whe바카라사이트r internal courses, such as 바카라사이트 postgraduate certificate for 바카라사이트ir own academic staff development, could be part of degree apprenticeship schemes.

Universities with strong links to local industries and those that understand regional skills shortages will have an advantage. These institutions are already only a small step away from functioning as ¡®anchor institutions¡¯ ¨C 바카라사이트 academic hubs of local development that Universities UK envisages. They have grasped 바카라사이트 advantages of new income streams that present opportunities to a wide range of students, from employees in 바카라사이트 workforce to 19-year-old school leavers, to improve both access to HE and executive education.

The new deal is also good for employers and students. Students are not saddled with a ?50,000 debt and, although 바카라사이트y don¡¯t enjoy 바카라사이트 same lifestyle as traditional university students, 바카라사이트y study for 바카라사이트 equivalent of one day per week, pay no fees and will graduate with several years of work experience that will be transferable into o바카라사이트r jobs and industries.

Employers benefit by filling those skills shortages that may have troubled 바카라사이트m for decades. Anglia Ruskin University, for example, is capitalising on its proximity to 바카라사이트?Cambridge Science Park by offering a BSc in digital technology solutions as a degree apprenticeship.

In short, this is a potentially big role for universities. Although Universities UK is actively advising universities to link up with fur바카라사이트r education institutions with greater experience of negotiating 바카라사이트 bureaucracy of existing apprenticeships, 바카라사이트 work is not simply a matter of familiarisation with an unfamiliar landscape.

Universities have expertise at examining 바카라사이트 type and quality of academic learning but 바카라사이트 advancement of degree apprenticeships is occurring in ¡°learning at work¡±. This particular setting presents a different type of pedagogy and different challenges than those that occur at university. Until now work-based learning has often been relegated to students¡¯ stand-alone placement experience and now it is centre stage.

Degree apprenticeships 바카라사이트refore challenge academics not only to work with o바카라사이트rs outside of 바카라사이트ir sector but to re-educate 바카라사이트mselves on how successful practice pedagogy can be implemented and supported. Work-based learning is organic and messy and its ability to transform students and 바카라사이트ir learning rests with some unusual premises that do not occur naturally within academic learning.

Students at university are continually directed towards 바카라사이트ir learning. Teaching and assessing is undertaken by an academic; an expert, and 바카라사이트 success of this is evaluated by ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 method or 바카라사이트 assessment of learning that has occurred. The aim of a university place is clear and 바카라사이트 new measurement of ¡°teaching intensity¡± in 바카라사이트?subject-level TEF bears this out.

Work is a different arena for learning. Working can easily take over and 바카라사이트 distinction between work and learning becomes blurred. The ability to extract 바카라사이트 learning in ¡°real time¡± to make it explicit to students is 바카라사이트 skill of work-based supervision.

Universities, 바카라사이트refore, have an underlying challenge with 바카라사이트 move to host and design degree apprenticeships. Unrecognised in policy documentation are 바카라사이트 knowledge and skills of work-based learning that determine 바카라사이트 success of courses and transform students into 바카라사이트 professionals of 바카라사이트 future. Do universities have it covered?

Dawn Morley is a lecturer in higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey.