How Can Higher Education Providers Widen Access to Degree Apprenticeships?
Education is often seen as the golden ticket to social mobility, providing young people with the opportunity to enhance their outcomes. But is this really the reality? In September 2023, social mobility in the UK was found to be at its lowest in over 50 years according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The study found stark disparities in earnings based on geographical location and ethnicity.
This is despite the fact that there are more young people applying and gaining access to higher education than ever before. UCAS recorded the highest number of 18-year-old applicants in 2023, with the number of applicants from the most disadvantaged areas in the UK growing by 19.1% from the year previous.
Add to this constellation the fact that degree apprenticeships have been heralded by government ministers and key stakeholders in the sector as a ‘game changer for social mobility’. Providing students with the opportunity to earn while they learn and swerve student debt, these programmes put students on the career ladder from the outset and offer the chance to boost their professional opportunities and outcomes.
However, if degree apprenticeships are to truly deliver on social mobility, they need to be taken up by disadvantaged groups. In a report reviewing degree apprenticeship delivery since 2015, the Sutton Trust found that only 5% of new starters on these programmes in 2020/21 were from disadvantaged areas (i.e. from the most deprived POLAR quintiles) in the UK – a figure that is significantly lower than the 6.7% of those starting traditional university courses.
For the sector to deliver on both social mobility and degree apprenticeships, providers must widen access to these programmes. In this article, we explore 3 key ways institutions can do this, including comprehensive promotion from early on, integrating apprenticeships into Access and Participation Planning (APP) and measuring the impact of action on widening access to apprenticeships.
Spread the Word
To widen access and participation in degree apprenticeships, it’s essential that providers work to increase awareness of these programmes in disadvantaged communities and to achieve parity of esteem with traditional university courses. Firstly, there’s the importance of providing accurate and comprehensive information and guidance, which could include:
Building relationships with key stakeholders – this could be schools, careers advisors or community organisations in target areas.
Tailoring marketing and outreach materials – keep your target audience in mind when developing any kind of content that includes information, advice and guidance. All the usual rules apply, like making the resources accessible, avoiding jargon or technical terms and highlighting the benefits of degree apprenticeships.
Promoting role models – showcase the success of degree apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds. Share their stories through case studies, videos, and testimonials.
Challenging stereotypes – address any negative stereotypes or misconceptions about degree apprenticeships. Highlight the fact that degree apprenticeships are a high-quality form of education that can lead to successful careers.
Beyond simply providing information, however, universities have a responsibility to adapt and actively work with stakeholders to make degree apprenticeships a viable alternative for disadvantaged students. This could include:
Offering targeted support to help students with the application process.
Offering bursaries or scholarships to disadvantaged learners.
Developing flexible learning arrangements that can accommodate the needs of disadvantaged learners, such as part-time study or blended learning.
Providing extra mentoring and coaching support to disadvantaged learners throughout their degree apprenticeship.
For further guidance, see HE Professional’s article on how universities can enhance their marketing and recruitment campaigns for higher and degree apprenticeships.
By providing important information and working actively to increase the opportunities for disadvantaged groups to engage with degree apprenticeships, universities can widen access to these transformative programmes. Importantly, they can also help to achieve parity of esteem between apprenticeships and traditional undergraduate degrees by dispelling some of the myths around them and highlighting the benefits that gaining valuable work experience and a salary alongside studying can have.
Plan for Participation
The development of Access and Participation Plans (APPs), as stipulated by sector regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), are the primary means through which higher education providers (HEPs) deliver strategic planning for widening participation (WP) activities[CC6] . In 2024, the OfS have made some important changes to the plans, which are now being delivered on a 4-year cycle and must respond to the priorities set out by the Equality of Opportunity Risk Register.
Degree apprenticeships should form a key part of a HEP's APP. By offering degree apprenticeships and incorporating them into institution-wide strategy on WP, HEPs can provide opportunities for people from all backgrounds to succeed in higher education.
In order to ensure apprenticeships are comprehensively covered in your APP, the following steps are essential:
Identify target groups and plan for outreach accordingly – this could include building relationships with local schools and organisations that can help to promote awareness of apprenticeship opportunities.
Ensure input from key leaders and stakeholders in apprenticeship delivery – it’s important that those with expert knowledge and understanding of the degree apprenticeship landscape are represented in strategic planning.
Plan to develop programmes around the needs of employers – by offering apprenticeships that respond to these needs, you can create real opportunities for disadvantaged groups that also support the local economy.
Account for the unique nature of apprenticeships when designing support services and interventions – apprentices will have a rather distinct experience to typical students. Make sure that services such as academic, wellbeing and financial support are accessible to them and respond to their unique needs.
Set out means to measure the impact of your WP strategies related to apprenticeships, using data and insight to set targets and identify areas for improvement – for more in-depth guidance on this, see the next section.
By incorporating degree apprenticeship delivery in their APP, HEPs can make a significant contribution to widening participation in higher education. Degree apprenticeships can provide a valuable pathway to higher education for people from all backgrounds and widen representation of different groups within universities.
Evaluate, Adapt, Repeat
There is an increasing focus on evaluating attempts to widen participation across the higher education sector in general. This is no less important when it comes to degree apprenticeships.
There is a clear need to build evidence on routes to degree apprenticeships. The following areas are essential for measuring the impact of widening participation initiatives in degree apprenticeship deliver:[CC8]
Track participation rates – this includes monitoring the number of students enrolled on degree apprenticeship courses, which can be compared to previous cohorts as well as different HE courses, such as full-time undergraduate degrees.
Monitor progression and attainment – this includes tracking grades, completion rates and graduate outcomes for degree apprentices from underrepresented backgrounds. Many institutions are also using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as predictive analytics, to track progress in this area.
Gather feedback from apprentices – numbers are important but so is qualitative data. Provide opportunities for degree apprentices at all stages in the lifecycle to feedback on their experience and use it to inform future delivery.
Undertake research – HEPs are renowned for their research capabilities, so why not use this to your advantage when evaluating WP interventions for degree apprentices? By producing research into how degree apprenticeships can enhance social mobility and the economy, providers can adjust their delivery accordingly while simultaneously promoting the profile of apprenticeship routes into HE.
By measuring the impact of their WP strategies, HEPs can work towards levelling the playing field for degree apprentices from underrepresented backgrounds.
Degree Apprenticeships for All
Widening access to degree apprenticeships is a critical undertaking that requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders in the higher education sector. By addressing the barriers that prevent underrepresented groups from participating in these programmes, providers can play a vital role in ensuring that degree apprenticeships are a viable option for all learners – and contribute to enhancing social mobility in the UK.
The recommendations outlined in this article provide a starting point for achieving this goal. By working together, providers can develop and implement effective strategies to increase awareness of degree apprenticeships, incorporate WP targets on apprenticeships into strategic planning and measure impact to inform future apprenticeship delivery.
To explore further innovations and examples of best practice in higher and degree apprenticeships, check out our premium content and keep an eye out for upcoming HE Professional events.
