Stepping into one another's world: apprenticeships: transforming engineering technologist education in New Zealand

This research on the viability of apprenticeship models to educate degree level engineering technologists has been undertaken on behalf of the Tertiary Education Commission. The authors conducted a literature review of learning models that have high levels of employer involvement, supplemented by interviews with tertiary providers involved in delivering new degree apprenticeships. The authors found that there has been a resurgence of apprenticeships as a model for delivering higher education. The challenges of the future require engineering graduates to be more rounded individuals than those educated through traditional means. The authors propose that apprenticeships deliver this more rounded engineer.

Two key findings are the need for effective collaboration between employers and educationalists at the design and planning stage, and clear pathways to higher levels of education. Employers have to be in the driving seat, specifying degree standards that are outcome-based and occupation-driven. The authors endorse apprenticeships as a viable learning model for educating engineering technologists and provide recommendations for establishing new degrees based on an apprenticeship learning model.

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