@phdthesis{discovery10020631,
            year = {2011},
           title = {Learner, college and employer perspectives on participation in college-based Programme-Led Apprenticeships - a glass half full or half empty?},
            note = {Thesis: (EdD) University of London Institute of Education, 2011.},
          school = {Institute of Education, University of London},
        abstract = {What is a Programme-led Apprenticeship (PLA)? What do we know about how
they are being delivered by Further Education (FE) colleges? Is it an
Apprenticeship or is it a programme leading to an Apprenticeship? What do we
know about the learners who participate in them and what do employers and
colleges think of them?
PLAs were announced in 2001 with the intention that learners would start in a
college and work towards the technical certificate requirement of an
Apprenticeship before moving into the workplace to complete the National
Vocational Qualification (NVQ).
By 2005, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) confirmed 34,000 learners were
on PLAs across FE colleges in England. These were learners on existing full-time
vocational courses or stand-alone NVQs requested by the LSC to transfer to
PLAs. Shortly after, the LSC confirmed it had met the Apprenticeship targets
set by the Department for Education and Skills. Of the original 34,000 learners,
less than 10\% successfully completed the programme. Despite low completion
rates no research was commissioned to determine why so few learners
progressed to the NVQ. Instead, PLAs received ministerial approval in 2007.
This study explores how PLAs are being implemented and what they mean to
learners, employers and colleges. Qualitative research methods were used and
included two rounds of interviews with learners five months apart. Interviews
were also carried out with employers and college representatives.
The research shows colleges are delivering PLAs in different ways. Too few
learners move onto employed Apprenticeships and too many learners
participate in tokenistic work placements that do not involve real training or
possibility of employment. The evidence raises questions about the pedagogic,
social and vocational purpose of PLAs together with transparency in the
development of policy and the role of employers and colleges in the delivery of
PLAs.},
          author = {Murphy, Ilona},
             url = {http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.572982}
}