When a photo of 14 black male Cambridge students went viral earlier this year, it exposed the patchy representation of parts of the population at university. These students published their picture to encourage more young black men to apply to elite universities – currently just more than 1% of the latest Cambridge intake define themselves as black.
Could degree apprenticeships, which don’t incur fees for students, have healthy retention rates and good job prospects, introduce a wider population to higher education?
“There’s a largely untapped pool of talent among people who have previously considered higher education beyond their means or who have insufficient qualifications for a traditional bricks-and-mortar university,” says Steve Hill, external engagement director at the Open University (OU), which has invested heavily in degree apprenticeships and prides itself on attracting students from under-represented groups.
Although more disadvantaged 18-year-olds than ever before go to university – entry rates for this section of the population have increased by 73% since 2006 – universities could still do better, says the government. Almost 40% of young people go on to university, but the figure is just 10% for white boys from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. Black students are 50% more likely to drop out of university than their peers.
Even at university, students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds tend not to do as well as their more privileged peers, says the advocacy organisation Universities UK. And numbers of part-time mature students – typically aged between 31 and 60 – have fallen dramatically since the economic downturn.
Now new apprenticeships could lure mature students back to study – employers can use these schemes to retrain and develop their staff to degree level. “This [31-60] group accounts for around two-thirds of the UK workforce – a proportion we can’t afford to ignore,” says Hill. “Apprenticeships may appeal to these groups … while addressing skills gaps shortages in the workforce. Debt-adverse students of all ages will find degree apprenticeships appealing, and they’ll be able to improve their skills as they go along while working, meaning that their workplace benefits from ideas they pick up during their apprenticeship.”
Callum Brookes, 21, a degree apprentice in Manchester, has seen many of his friends drop out of university, disenchanted with the course and the cost. He’s working with marketing and communications agency MC2 and studying for a degree apprenticeship in business management three days a month at Manchester Metropolitan University. He turned down a university place, fearful of fees. “The course dovetails with work really well. I have a car – all the normal stuff that comes with having a job – but I’m still getting a degree. It’s going a lot better for me than it is with some of my mates.”
In 2015, the government asked universities to become more inclusive, by working more closely with schools in poorer areas, targeting working-class white boys in particular, and raising aspirations more widely.
As degree apprenticeships – a collaboration between employers and universities – are new, they won’t have an immediate impact on national figures. Forecasts are promising for the longer term though. A thousand degree apprenticeships are currently under way, but a report by Universities UK predicts numbers will soar in the coming years – with a 658% rise to 4,850 for the next academic year (2017-18). More than nine in ten (91%) universities surveyed are actively engaged with degree apprenticeships, and 88% of them say students are based locally.
Financial incentives of degree apprenticeships are considerable, according to the OU. “Knowing they (apprentices) can graduate debt-free, and have the possibility to achieve professional accreditation, is a real bonus,” says Hill, who adds that course quality and career prospects also matter to apprentices.
Offering more flexible ways of studying and more choice is a key way in which universities can improve access, says Prof Les Ebdon, director at the public body Office for Fair Access. “The traditional three-year, on-campus route to a degree doesn’t suit everyone, and degree apprenticeships provide an excellent way for universities to diversify their offer so that they meet the needs of employers, local areas and students from all backgrounds.”
Universities and employers who offer degree apprenticeships also need to consider how to lure more women into traditionally male roles – some 96% of engineering apprentices are men, while 99% of beauty apprentices are women, research from the educational charity the Sutton Trust shows.
Partly with this in mind, the OU has helped companies shake up their recruitment practice, encouraging them to assess potential apprentices’ strengths such as learning agility and social awareness, rather than solely looking at academic qualifications. “This is specifically designed to allow employers to address both diversification and gender challenges associated with more traditional approaches,” says Hill.
Anecdotally, retention rates appear high for degree apprentices – 90% stay the course at a programme offered by IT consultants Capgemini, which currently has 250 degree apprentices on its books, half of whom are on course for a first-class degree.
Jaguar Land Rover, which has taken on more degree apprentices this year, believes schemes such as these help the company tap new talent. “Apprenticeships can offer a great way to bring in talent and potential from individuals you may not have otherwise seen if you focus solely on graduate recruitment,” says Rob Gill, undergraduate and apprentice recruitment manager at Jaguar Land Rover. And at law firm Irwin Mitchell the apprenticeship scheme has widened opportunities beyond a traditional graduate route, says Marissa Sanders, graduate and apprentice manager. “Apprenticeships enable us to attract a high calibre of candidate who is eager to learn, engaged and committed.”
However, while 73% of employers have some sort of diversity strategy for graduate recruitment, just 40% have anything similar in place for apprenticeships, although the Association of Graduate Recruiters hopes this will improve as schemes gain in popularity. It’s an aim the OU hopes to encourage among universities and employers. “Open access to education is at the heart of the OU’s mission,” says Hill. “We work to provide opportunities to those who wish to reach their potential, regardless of their background.”
