The role of employers and college staff within work-based and work-related learning programmes in Scotland and England: change and continuity

Reeve, Fiona; Ingram, Robert and Gallacher, Jim (2008). The role of employers and college staff within work-based and work-related learning programmes in Scotland and England: change and continuity. In: 38th Annual SCUTREA Conference, 2-4 Jul 2008, University of Edinburgh.

URL: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/172428.pdf

Abstract

This paper reports on findings from a comparative research project which is examining how work-based learning (WBL) and work-related learning (WRL) are being incorporated into Higher National (HN) programmes in Scotland and Foundation Degrees (FDs) in England. It draws on qualitative interviews with learners, employers and programme organisers. The particular focus of this paper is to explore the potentially changing roles of employers and college staff in supporting students’ learning. A complex picture can be observed. There are similarities in the role of employers in supporting learning across the two countries and these have emerged in response to the characteristics of the occupational sectors. Nevertheless, it appears that the FD framework does encourage college/university staff to increase the range and extent of WBL and WRL, in comparison with HNs. However, in doing so, they take on the significant task of maintaining these relationships with employers, and this may be only possible because of smaller FD cohorts.

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