learners on MAs constitute only eight per cent of the total 16-19 cohort, roughly the same
proportion as those taking Advanced GNVQs in full-time education;
• only about five per cent of Modern Apprentices stated that they planned to go to university -
this compared with 70 per cent of a comparitor sample of A Level and GNVQ students.
Those most likely to want to progress were those with good GCSE grades (Coleman &
Williams 1998);
• the proportion of Modern Apprentices who said they would like to go on to higher education
doubles to 10 per cent if future study were associated with higher level work-related
qualifications (Coleman & Williams 1998);
• in a local study (Sheffield TEC), the proportion of Modern Apprentices who would consider
a higher education course rose to 49 per cent when the options were explained to them and
when they were informed about the possibility of flexible part-time modes of study
(Sanderson 1999);
• a high proportion of employers (between 45 and 70 per cent in two studies) indicated that
they were prepared to support their Modern Apprentices in further study in higher education
(Economic Research Service Ltd 1998);
• higher education institutions tend not to accept young people with only an NVQ Level 3 and
prefer those with BTEC or broader general vocational awards;
• there is a wide variation in the capacity of different MA frameworks currently to support
progression into higher education - only a minority tend to be proactive in this area (e.g.
Engineering, Business Administration, Construction and IT) (Sanderson 1999).
Accounts of local progression projects suggest that the practical problems of encouraging Modern
Apprentices to progress to higher education may be greater than indicated by surveys of
apprentices and employers. Several TEC-sponsored programmes to promote entry to higher
education have been developed in a number of areas (e.g. Coventry, Dudley, Leeds, Rotherham
and South Yorkshire), but these have resulted in very few Modern Apprentices entering higher
education courses. The problem is illustrated by the case of the four TECs in the South Yorkshire
area. Forty-eight Modern Apprentices were targeted out of a total of 200 who were finishing
their programmes. Eventually 15 apprentices registered for Open University courses and, of
these, only three passed the initial stage to progress onto further study. These were apprentices
with high levels of personal motivation and strong employer support (Sanderson 1999).
If MA schemes are to provide more than a trickle of applicants for higher education, local MA
progression projects suggest that a range of measures have to be initiated (Marque Associates
1999). However, these measures have to be seen in the context of deep-seated barriers within the
work-based route. Many smaller employers are fearful that if they support their apprentices to
undertake higher level study, they will move elsewhere and many trainees do not see the need for
further qualification. In the light of these problems, a realistic target for progression to higher
education might be 10 per cent of those graduating from MAs. This would constitute about one
per cent of the 16-21 year old age group.
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