Abstract:

Work integrated learning (WIL) is a key element of university apprenticeship degree programmes, and its effective delivery is essential to their success. WIL enables apprentices to complement academic study with real workplace experience and plays a central role in evidencing their professional competence, an essential outcome for all learners.

Each apprenticeship degree is developed to meet a corresponding apprenticeship standard, although these standards do not dictate how WIL is delivered nor how quality assurance of WIL is undertaken. Practice in the authors’ institution is to assign a dedicated Learning Adviser (LA) to support the WIL journey of each apprentice. Working on a one-to-one basis with the apprentice, the LA provides tailored support in undertaking WIL. This guidance includes supporting the development of a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate professional competence, as well as assessing submitted work.

While allocation of a dedicated LA enables personalised guidance, having multiple staff members in the LA role introduces difficulties in maintaining a uniform experience for apprentices. These issues can be particularly pronounced because most support is delivered through one-to-one interactions, and apprentices work at different levels in a wide range of organisations with differing expectations and duties. To achieve consistent feedback and assessment across such varied contexts with multiple LAs requires robust quality assurance (QA) practices.

Recognising these challenges, the authors have developed and refined a structured QA framework for WIL. This framework has been in use for over five years of WIL delivery across three technology apprenticeship degrees delivered by the authors’ institution. Over 100 apprentices have successfully completed these programmes, with a further 150 currently enrolled. The framework includes the approach to onboarding and training of new LAs, standardisation of assessment activities, and development of LA practice.

This paper summarises the approach to QA and provides an evaluation of its effectiveness. Through structured interviews with LAs, areas of strength of the approach have been identified, as well as potential refinements that can be implemented. The paper both presents and reflects upon these findings.

Keywords:

Work-Integrated Learning, Apprenticeship Degrees, Quality Assurance.