What the study found
Apprentices who withdrew from a degree apprenticeship often described an accumulation of pressures rather than one single reason. The study identified three themes in these accounts: the burden of work and administration, changes in job role, and benefits apprentices still felt they gained from the experience despite needing to withdraw.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the study offers a new way to understand apprentice experiences around programme withdrawal. They say it deepens understanding of the choices and challenges involved in deciding whether to continue or discontinue an apprenticeship.
What the researchers tested
The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 apprentices from a Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship programme. They used thematic analysis to examine the reasons apprentices gave for withdrawing from their degree apprenticeships.
What worked and what didn't
The findings suggest that withdrawal was usually linked to several interacting factors rather than a single overriding cause. The three themes in the data were the burden of work and administration, change in job role, and benefits apprentices still derived from their apprenticeship experiences despite withdrawing.
What to keep in mind
The study was small in scale and focused on 16 apprentices from one Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship programme. The abstract does not describe other limitations beyond this scope.
Key points
- Apprentices usually described withdrawal as the result of multiple factors, not one main reason.
- Three themes appeared in the interviews: work and administration burden, change in job role, and benefits gained from the apprenticeship experience.
- The study interviewed 16 apprentices from a Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship programme.
- The authors say the study adds a new way to understand programme withdrawal and the choices involved.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Withdrawal reflects multiple pressures in degree apprenticeships
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