Khristin Fabian, Ella Taylor-Smith, Sally Smith and Andrew Bratton
The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the degree apprenticeship labour market and employers' strategies for apprenticeship recruitment using job advertisement data…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the degree apprenticeship labour market and employers' strategies for apprenticeship recruitment using job advertisement data. Specifically, this study identifies the skills, attributes, experience and qualifications that employers look for in IT apprentices. The study also identifies the salaries and responsibilities of apprentices and considers the alignment between the advertised jobs and apprenticeship definitions.
Design/methodology/approach
Degree apprenticeship job adverts (n = 290) were collected from the official websites used by employers in England and Scotland to advertise apprenticeship roles, between March 2019 and March 2020. Data was analysed using content analysis to systematically elicit salaries, candidate requirements in terms of skills, qualifications and experience and specific job details from these adverts.
Findings
A wide variation in advertised salary was found. Entry routes were similar to the traditional high school qualifications (A-levels or Highers) sought by universities. The skills and attributes being sought at recruitment were the same skills that employers were seeking in graduates and the same skills that the apprenticeships were designed to develop. Most adverts focused on the training that the apprentices would be receiving, rather than work tasks, which were rarely specified.
Originality/value
This is the first study of how apprenticeship roles are advertised to potential candidates and thus contributes to ongoing research into this new work/degree-level education model. By analysing job adverts we share insights into how employers position apprenticeships to attract candidates.
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Keywords
Ella Taylor-Smith, Sally Smith, Khristin Fabian and Andrew Bratton
The partnership which underpins degree apprenticeships is a tripartite collaboration between apprentices, employers and universities. This study aims to investigate the lived…
Abstract
Purpose
The partnership which underpins degree apprenticeships is a tripartite collaboration between apprentices, employers and universities. This study aims to investigate the lived experiences and reflections of the apprentices at the centre, to inform effective collaboration.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative, longitudinal study, spanning four years, in which 13 apprentices studying apprenticeship degrees at a Scottish University were interviewed in their first and final years about their experiences of the apprenticeship (26 interviews). Data was analysed via a framework matrix, which focussed on the collaborations between the apprentice, employer and university, also surfacing changes between the apprentices’ first and final year.
Findings
The tripartite collaboration is not only logistical but also, like learning, social. Apprentices require interest and support from their employers and colleagues to promote meaningful integration between their work and studies. Further, collaboration between apprentices extends from peer support into meaningful friendships and feeds into their work, as well as their studies. The university plays a key role in facilitating these essential connections.
Practical implications
Apprenticeships can be highly effective in upskilling the workforce and sharing knowledge and skills between academia and the workplace in both directions, while specifically enabling workers to gain degree qualifications relevant to their roles. Recommendations for future work practices, including collaborations, are made.
Originality/value
While the tripartite collaboration has been discussed theoretically in the literature, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first longitudinal investigation based on the lived experience of cohorts of apprentices, from the start of their degree to the final six months.
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Ann Svensson, Ulrika Lundh Snis and Irene Cecilia Bernhard
Hazel Hall, Bruce Martin Ryan, Rachel Salzano and Katherine Stephen
The purpose of the empirical study was to examine whether strategies shown to work well in one model of network development for library and information science (LIS) practitioners…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the empirical study was to examine whether strategies shown to work well in one model of network development for library and information science (LIS) practitioners and researchers could be applied successfully in the development of a new network and contribute to the narrowing of the research–practice gap in LIS.
Design/methodology/approach
Overall, 32 members of a new professional network were surveyed by a questionnaire following the completion of a programme of four network events held between 2019 and 2021.
Findings
The analysis demonstrates the transferability of the existing model of network development to a new network and that it can be successfully adapted for online delivery of network events and activities.
Practical implications
The criteria deployed for the evaluation of the new network could be used in other similar settings. Funding bodies can also use these findings as demonstration of the value of their investment in network grants.
Originality/value
This contribution on means of growing collaborative networks to narrow the LIS research–practice gap stands out in contrast with prior research that tends to focus the support of research productivity of academic librarians in North American universities for the purposes of career development. Here wider aspects of research engagement are considered of value for LIS practitioners from a range of sectors and institutions, beyond North America, for purposes that are broader than personal advancement.