This blog post is drawn from a recent study into the Working Lives of Degree Apprentices led by my colleague Katy Jones. The study explored the working lives of Digital Technology Solutions Degree Apprentices. It was a qualitative longitudinal study interviewing participants firstly just before they finished their degrees and secondly, a year later.  For readers unfamiliar with Degree Apprenticeships, this is a relatively new higher education route which involves completing a degree level qualification, whilst working for an employer, usually attending university once a week in term-time. Initiated by the Conservative government in England in 2015, Degree Apprenticeships built upon existing part-time study and work routes.

The role of employers in the employability ecosystem

Supporters of social justice in career guidance practice and research critique an over-emphasis on individual agency that ignores structural barriers. Similarly, the concept of individual employability (so popular in UK higher education where I work) has been problematised and researchers have highlighted the risk that an uncritical focus on individual employability can lead to people blaming themselves for lack of career success.

A social justice informed approach encourages careers practitioners to look beyond the individual and operate at “a range of levels”. This includes working with employers to influence good practice around recruitment, selection, and people management. Ideally, all practitioners should interact with both employers and clients if possible. But often careers services (certainly in some UK universities) separate out distinct functions (student-facing, employer-facing etc). Careers professionals can sometimes be virtually entirely student or employer-facing.

In our recent research about Degree Apprenticeships, the research team observed how important employers are in the employability ecosystem and how supportive employers can help people flourish. There are widespread fears about the erosion of work for many people in society. However, in the research we gleaned insights into what Good Work looks like.  We saw close-up the benefits to individuals and employers of creating high quality work.

Degree Apprentices and Good Work

The longitudinal nature of project made it possible to observe what change had taken place for participants. Our Degree Apprentices reported positively about how employers had helped them get in, get on and go further in their careers. Their transition from Degree Apprentice to full-time employees was a remarkably smooth one, especially when compared to stories of some graduates who face turbulence, insecurity, and uncertainty in their early careers.

The research illustrated what work that is “much more than just decent” looks like. Many of the Degree Apprentices experienced work that fulfils many of the Good Work criteria recommended by the CIPD (professional body for HR and people development), i.e., pay and benefits, employment contracts, work–life balance, job design and the nature of work, relationships at work, employee voice, health and wellbeing.

In England, Degree Apprentices are extremely popular amongst policymakers and employer organisations. However, the numbers doing them are small and the possibility of them ever scaling up to be a widespread alternative to traditional higher education seems unlikely.  Their expansion is dependent on employers embracing this route and many of the participants in the study worked for large employers who had capacity to invest in training and development of new entrants to their field. This may not translate so well for small and medium-sized companies.

Increasing the availability of high quality work

In writing up the research, we had the overwhelming sense that more people should have the opportunity for such high-quality work. Our Degree Apprentices reported positively of their work, but we know from our other research that many other people experience insecure and even indecent work. Such high-quality work should not just be for the lucky few.

It was impressive to hear from the Degree Apprentices about how positively they felt about their working lives and from their employers about how they valued the Degree Apprentices contribution to their business. Whether through this route or other ways employers have considerable scope to support their employees to develop employability and create Good Work for people. Careers professionals can use their interactions with employers to argue for the value of investing in such high quality routes into work.  They can also encourage their clients to be able to recognise what Good Work is (build critical consciousness).

As an employer organisation, it is encouraging that the CIPD are currently consulting members on  their own Good Work Manifesto which champions “Skilled Work. Healthy Work. Equal Work”. The CIPD is one organisation that careers professionals can work with more in seeking to “work at a range of levels” to maximise opportunities for Good Work.  

Finding out more about Degree Apprenticeships

You can search Degree Apprenticeship opportunities via the UCAS website.

You can search Degree Apprenticeship opportunities from Manchester Metropolitan University here.