Abstract:

A standards based craft apprenticeship in Ireland is characterised by block phases of both on the job and off the job training. Typically phases 2, 4 and 6 are off the job training and occur in a training board and an Institute of Technology. Phase 6 is the penultimate phase and incorporates theory and practical examinations. An analysis of the Phase 6 theory paper indicated a consistent pattern of poor results regarding the screen printing unit. Over a three year period 75% of the exam questions were answered incorrectly. This was a cause for concern in an exam compromising of 30 questions and where the threshold for achieving a pass was set at 70%. This meant 21 questions need to be answered correctly where typically three questions were asked about screen printing. In an effort to engage the apprentices in a more conceptual understanding of the material the lecture format was changed. The learning unit was moved from the classroom into a workshop in an effort to engage the apprentices in an interchange of information rather than simply a delivery of information. Preliminary results are positive with an improvement in the results for the unit.

Keywords:

Standards based craft apprenticeship.