The hub in a pub: University of Wolverhampton Apprenticeship Hub

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning on 13/02/2017, available online: https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-05-2016-0035 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Purpose This paper presents the innovative approach being taken by the University of Wolverhampton to create an Apprenticeship Hub through which the regional offer for Intermediate, Advanced, Higher and Degree Apprenticeships can be accessed. Readers can review the approach taken and consider the possibilities of a similar approach in their own context. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a case study that set out and discusses the drivers behind the approach adopted to create the Apprenticeship Hub. It identifies the stakeholders who will engage with the Apprenticeship Hub and it outlines the reasons for, and benefits of, working in collaboration with other organisations to provide an integrated offer for apprenticeship provision across the region. Findings The Apprenticeship Hub is a physical entity within a well-known local landmark building that is easily accessible to the communities which it is intended to serve. It has been developed to meet the national and local contexts and, although only recently established, it is meeting the needs of the stakeholder groups. It provides an environment through which the integrated regional apprenticeship offer can be accessed. Practical implications The world of apprenticeships is changing significantly with many new requirements for employers and for education. It is a complex road to travel, particularly for Higher Education which has not, traditionally, been involved in the world of apprenticeships. This paper posits that a collaborative approach to stakeholder engagement and recognition of respective strengths can lead to organisations working in partnership to draw together their respective expertise to ensure that, through a collaborative approach they can meet the needs of the communities that they serve. Originality/value Apprenticeships are new to Higher Education; universities are entering a complex and unknown territory. This paper set out the approach taken by one university to working in partnership with others to provide an integrated offer that could be adopted or adapted by other providers to their own context

Work-based skills development: A context-engaged approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to give a successful example of how universities can work with business to identify and address skills needs through a context-engaged approach to developing learning to meet the needs identified. Design/methodology/approach – Using a case study approach the business-university collaboration to introduce work-based learning programmes is explained. The paper sets out how learning interventions were researched, designed and introduced to meet identified skills needs throughout the organisation. It highlights the practicalities of the management approach adopted and the benefits achieved through partnership working. Findings – Key to the success of the collaboration was the recruitment of a “Training Centre Facilitator” (TCF) who was co-managed by the company and the university and who was located within the company. The TCF was able to fully understand the company’s and learners’ requirements and thus propose a context-engaged solution that met the needs of the individuals and the organisation. The work-based learning programmes introduced reflected the organisational requirements, individuals’ needs and took into account constraints and restraints on their design and implementation. Originality/value – The paper presents a case study that investigates an innovative approach to partnership working between HE, FE and a private business organisation. The appointment of a TCF, employed within the company to undertake research and implement identified training interventions is an unusual and original approach to bringing together the three organisations to achieve the planned business improvements. The process used and the key principles for achieving a successful partnership are presented and could be applied in other business-education collaborations to develop in-company work-based learning

Prioritising research and dissemination: a Delphi study of NHS Highland midwives

 This paper reports on a Delphi study undertaken by a health librarian and two midwifery professionals, to determine the research priorities of midwives working in NHS Highland. Six important topics were identified: workforce issues, second stage of labour, obesity in pregnancy, women's expectations of pregnancy and of childbirth, place of birth, and breastfeeding. Related evidence was examined to identify topics where dissemination of existing evidence was needed. The study dealt both with the practice of midwifery in general and with the information needs of local midwives in particular. The Delphi technique was found to be a useful method to determine research priorities but it was not without its limitations

Towards a Context-engaged Approach to Work-based Learning

Providers of tertiary education are involved in the ‘employer engagement’ agenda in many different ways and with a range of expectations from the learner, the employer and the education provider. The education sector has been criticised for its lack of understanding of employers’ needs and for not providing employable graduates or an education experience that meets the requirements of the 21st century marketplace. In order to meet the market need it is essential to first identify that need and a methodology for its fulfilment. This discussion paper explains the work being undertaken to develop a model to ensure that a work-based learning (WBL) curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the context for which it has been developed. This model identifies factors in both the external environment as well as the internal environment that can inform the WBL curriculum and builds on previous work by Garnett (2007) and Stewart (1997). The paper explains the development of the model and its application within the context of the University of Wolverhampton, a post-1992 university in the UK Midlands

Developing an e-portfolio based pedagogy for work-based learners

In this thesis I explore the use of an e-portfolio as the framework for a pedagogy for work-based learners, in particular for those employed in small to medium sized enterprises; a group of potential learners that are recognised as having potential difficulties in accessing higher education. I analyse the reasons for targeting this group of learners, with particular reference to the economic need to increase the higher level learning of people in the workplace and the potential impact this could have in the local, and wider, economy. Central to the pedagogic development is the use of e-portfolios. I will interrogate why this technology and methodology was chosen and how the personal learning space it provides is well-suited to supporting and engaging learners in the target group. The means by which I explore the use of an e-portfolio based pedagogy is through participative action research. This method allows for my explorations to be situated in live settings and to involve participants from the key stakeholder groups. Unlike experimental design, action research aims to generate understandings rather than prove causal relationships. I will explain the cycles of action research employed in my project and evaluate how this impacted on the successful development of the pedagogy. Findings from my research strongly suggest the benefits of an inclusive approach to pedagogic development which centres on involvement of key stakeholders for the creation of an holistic model. This model incorporates a speedy, flexible and quality assured curriculum that is accessible to the target learners and that can be adapted to a range of existing and perceived needs. At the heart of this model is the use of e-portfolio which provides the learning and personal development space through which the work-based learners’ needs can be met and through which dialogue between the learner, employer and academic tutor can be facilitated. The key innovation in my research findings is the theorisation of different types of scaffolding for e-learning developments and the positing of a taxonomy of scaffolding approaches to learning and teaching design that is founded within the concept of the holistic scaffolding model

Raising awareness, facilitating access, creating opportunity, enabling achievement

The University of Wolverhampton is known within the higher education sector as a post-1992 university with an excellent reputation for widening participation. It is committed to being ‘the Opportunity University – renowned for our creativity and innovation…connected with our local, national and global communities delivering opportunity and academic excellence’ (University of Wolverhampton, 2015a) and to ‘recognis[ing] learning wherever and whenever it occurs’ (Felce, 2015). As part of this commitment the university accepts a broad range of entry qualifications including accepting learners who have no formal qualifications but who show, through interview or work experiences, that they are capable of succeeding at university-level study. This recognition of prior learning (RPL) extends to recognising learning at levels equivalent to those in higher education in order to allow exemptions from study which may be applied to individuals or cohorts, depending on the circumstances. This chapter presents the University of Wolverhampton’s approach to its engagement with Her Majesty’s Armed Forces and for the RPL for those within, and allied to, the Forces. Principles for RPL and why they are relevant to the university and the Armed Forces are set out. The university’s approach to raising awareness, facilitating access, creating opportunities and enabling achievement is also explained. The chapter concludes with a case study outlining the application of these four principles to enable readers to consider how this approach could be transferred to their own practice

Personal Development Planning (PDP) using e-portfolio for CPD

HEFC

Making employer and university partnerships work: Accredited employer-led learning

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