Removing barriers to degree apprenticeships: Changing the narrative
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Degree apprenticeships promise much for social mobility, but as yet they are not living up to lofty expectations. Changing that for good requires a shift in mindset from employers, but there are also practical steps teachers who are advising potential applicants can take, writes Programme Manager Ros Fraser.
In many people’s minds, apprenticeships are still a more accessible route than university. Students, teachers and parents often consider apprenticeships to be a back-up option in case grades do not go to plan. The image of apprenticeships is one of a less academic approach to be taken by those who want to pursue a more practical way of learning and often that is associated with students who are less academically able. However, with degree apprenticeships, courses which combine workplace learning with study towards a bachelor’s degree, this could hardly be further from the truth. As is often the case with new schemes, it is the most advantaged and those with the greatest resources who are able to react to change most quickly and take advantage.
On paper, degree apprenticeships offer young people from low-income backgrounds with a high-quality and affordable route onto the labour market. In reality, as Sutton Trust research shows, degree apprenticeships are not, as yet, living up to this promise. To investigate why this is the case, Causeway partnered with Queen Mary University of London and George Monoux Sixth Form, an ambitious college in the Waltham Forest area of London, an area of high deprivation, with a large proportion of students on vocational pathways. Exactly the sort of students, in other words, who are currently underrepresented at degree apprenticeship level. We also hosted a fascinating discussion with voices from across the industry, as part of our Big Idea Small Idea series (available to watch in full here).
Barriers to fair access to degree apprenticeships
We found that there are several barriers to accessing to degree apprenticeships facing students like those at George Monoux. First, degree apprenticeships are extremely competitive; as several speakers at our event pointed out, more so in some cases than even the most competitive degree courses. As a result, successful degree apprentices are disproportionately older and, in many cases, already working in the industry or, indeed, at the company to which they are applying. Younger, less experienced applicants are often overlooked in an application process which includes forms, interviews, additional reasoning tests and assessment centre style tasks, and unsurprisingly, students from backgrounds where parents and teachers are familiar with these selection processes are more successful.
There is a huge level of confidence required to apply to a company and convince a potential employer that you have something to offer to a business at 17 or 18 years old. This has always been so. However, in a degree apprenticeship application, the student must do this and convince the employer that they are worthy of an investment of the cost of a degree. Employers, looking for “value for money,” can ask applicants to do almost anything.
“Without support and preparation, the search can be overwhelming for students facing social and economic barriers.”
There is no motivation for employers to advertise their apprenticeships centrally or widely. In many ways by making the process difficult, companies are beginning the selection process. Private schools have teams whose job it is to research apprenticeships and prepare students for the process and indeed members of the careers team in these schools are often recruited from businesses for their contacts. The language of applications is opaque and difficult to navigate. Analytics from websites which host advertisements for apprenticeships show that students who live in the areas of the lowest progression to HE, spend less time looking at fewer advertisements and ultimately make fewer applications. Without support and preparation, the search can be overwhelming. Universities which administer the recruitment process for companies report a drop off between the initial application stage and the additional testing stage, which is markedly more pronounced for students facing social or economic barriers.
Unlike the university application process, there is no centralised application form for degree apprenticeships. As a result, there are few resources to support these applications and little time for teachers to get to grips with individual applications. If students are offered an interview, those who have fewer advantages face greater barriers. Employers rarely offer financial assistance to attend in-person interviews and often have professional dress code expectations which put those who are unused to this on the back foot from the outset. This year, while video interviews became the norm, students who did not have webcams, phones with cameras or access to a quiet space with high-speed internet connection were often not allowed to interview by phone or offered alternative ways to access the process. When students are already out of their comfort zones, this can be enough to end their engagement.
Making degree apprenticeships work for everyone
A mindset change is needed. Employers must consider what a diverse work force can offer them and look for those qualities, rather than those which already exist in their workforce. This requires actively seeking to reduce the barriers facing young people. Wider advertising and clear wording which actually speaks to those from non-traditional backgrounds, rather than merely containing a diversity statement, will encourage students to apply to jobs which previously seemed to be ‘not for them’. The application process itself, while it should remain competitive, should not be without support.
It is not unusual for job applicants to engage with the employer throughout the application process in the form of workplace tours and discussion with recruiters and talent acquisition. If employers are serious about recruiting from a more diverse pool, applicants who may need such additional support should be identified and offered resources. Perhaps, in some cases, an encouraging phone call welcoming their further participation in the process is all that is needed to prevent an underconfident young person from dropping out of the process. If this presents an ideological problem to some who believe this would offer an unfair advantage, I would challenge the mindset. To ensure they do not miss out on potential talent, employers should directly engage with those who fall behind in the race. If the reasons behind this are easily navigated, such as webcam issues, travel issues or unfamiliarity with the process, resources should be made available to remove these barriers for promising candidates. The resulting openness in the process will enrich the experience and outcomes for everyone.
“Openness in the process will enrich the experience and outcomes for everyone.”
While we wait for this change, what practical steps can teachers and progression staff take to support students attempting to navigate the difficult terrain of degree apprenticeship applications? Our Big Idea Small Idea event contained some suggestions:
Prepare early: Ed Penn of Pearson College London stressed the importance of encouraging students to begin to research degree apprenticeships in the early stages of their exploration of possible future pathways, in a similar fashion to the preparation for applications to selective universities.
Be realistic: Get My First Job CEO David Allison emphasised the need to discuss the complexity of the application process with students when they express an interest in degree apprenticeships, to set expectations about what applying for a degree apprenticeship entails.
Contact university apprenticeship teams for help: Queen Mary Apprenticeships Manager Jamie Hilder explained how his institution was supporting applicants who circumvented the complex application process and approached employers directly to convince them to set up a bespoke degree apprenticeship.
At Causeway, we are seeking to bridge the gap between employers and the potential employees they are trying to reach. By offering workshops to students on navigating the application process, we break down the seemingly insurmountable into manageable and transparent sections. We are using our learning to develop a reflective tool housed within our highly successful OSCAR platform that allows students to prepare themselves both practically and emotionally for an incredibly challenging process. By completing the modules presented in the tool, students will gain the familiarity and preparedness which will boost confidence and resilience. Watch this space!
