Definition of Higher Education Apprenticeships

Which are the 6 main characteristics of HE Apprenticeship?

From the point of view of University-Business collaboration, “HE Apprenticeship” is understood as programmes that have all or a minimum of four characteristics out of the six listed below. However, the ApprEnt consortium strongly recommends to design HE Apprenticeship programmes preserving all 6 characteristics:

1. Learning alternates between a workplace and an educational or training institution

2. The programme has a strong tutoring/mentoring aspect both at work and in the HEI, where the employer and higher education institution in collaboration assume responsibility for providing instruction and meaningful learning opportunities at the workplace with a skilled person, in order to offer to the learner the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and competences needed in the profession

3. The programme is part of formal and/or continuing education and training

4. On successful completion of the programme, learners acquire a qualification or a part of a qualification and receive an officially recognised certificate

5. Apprenticeships are based on a contract or formal agreement between employer and learner but, sometimes, can be based on a contract or formal agreement with the HEI

6. Apprentices are contractually linked to an employee and to a HEI and receive remuneration in the form of wage, allowance or similar for their work