Developing a Best Practice Framework for Degree Apprenticeships in Civil Engineering: Initial Findings: Fid-Bau Portal

Developing a Best Practice Framework for Degree Apprenticeships in Civil Engineering: Initial Findings

Rothera, Josie

A research project is being undertaken to identify a delivery framework for managing, and successfully completing a degree apprenticeship in civil engineering. The research will investigate challenges, barriers and best practice experienced by the Employer, the Apprenticeship Training Provider (ATP) and the Apprentice: the tripartite stakeholders. Patterns of challenges, barriers and best practice will illustrate promising points of intervention to develop evidence to inform a supporting framework. As the Civil Engineering and Civil Engineering (Site Management) degree apprenticeship standards were approved for delivery in 2017, the first candidates for the End Point Assessment (EPA) are expected to be presented around January 2020. This means that research based specifically on degree apprenticeships in civil engineering is in its infancy and current performance data and insights are scarce.

This paper outlines initial research carried out with Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and students around their initial experiences with the scheme. The research adopts a phenomological methodology to understand the perceived significance of the apprenticeships from the SME experience, and reviews results from a questionnaire provided to degree apprenticeship students.

Initial findings are presented, and a review of the methodology is discussed around appropriateness, accuracy and validity of those data retrieved. This is then applied to time-bound considerations in relation to the main body of research and future investigations. Thus, the research parameters of the next phase of the research are identified and discussed.