The Future of Education

This paper is derived from a broader study examining the experiences of apprentices on the Irish Standards Based Apprenticeship which forms part of the thesis requirements for a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Queen’s University Belfast. Twelve apprentices from the trade of Wood Manufacturing and Finishing and twelve from in Brick and Stone Work who attended Technological University Dublin for the off the job phases took part. The results presented here are from the Brick and Stone Work apprentices. The twelve participants were interviewed using one on one semi-structured interviews through MS Teams. The audio recordings were transcribed, anonymised and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The later questions in the interviews gave the apprentices an opportunity to say anything in relation to their experience of being an apprentice. It is from these sections that the results presented here derive. Three themes arose strongly. They were the issue of identity as a learner with many participants seeing traditional school as not being for them; participants saw themselves as leaners that work best with their hands; and finally, the disconnect that many participants felt while on a university campus mixing amongst full time degree students. The main recommendations involve the following: 

1.     A structured orientation day similar to what undergraduates are provided with when starting their programme. This would include a specific webpage with an FAQ section.

2.     Staff appointments to programme chair and year head roles similar to existing roles on undergraduate programmes.

3.     The provision of feedback mechanisms for apprentices.

4.     The appointment of a class representative among each group of apprentices.