Student engagement is positively correlated with academic performance [1]. While drivers of engagement are multifaceted [2] (encompassing behavioural, emotional and cognitive aspects), learner support is a critical determinant. Within Degree Apprenticeships (DAs), work-integrated learning models that merge paid employment with higher education study [3], Academic Skills Coaches (ASCs) constitute a primary support mechanism. Despite their recognised centrality to learner progression and retention, rigorous investigation into ASCs’ measurable impact remains scarce within the literature.

ASCs (also known as Professional Development Experts or Assessors) function as specialised non-academic practitioners within England’s Higher Education framework. Their mandate focuses explicitly on fostering student engagement, mitigating attrition risks, and facilitating holistic success through personalised developmental interventions. This Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)-sponsored study systematically investigates two core dimensions:
(i) ASCs’ role in enhancing the DA student experience, and
(ii) their impact on learning outcomes.

Employing a mixed-methods design, the research gathered quantitative and qualitative data from a survey of 134 DA learners and 89 educators (including ASCs, module tutors, and programme leaders) across two higher education institutions. Quantitative analysis employs descriptive and inferential statistics to identify significant relationships and predictors. Qualitative data undergoes rigorous content analysis to surface nuanced insights.

Preliminary results substantiate ASCs’ significant contributions across four critical domains:
(1) enhancement of students' personal and professional development trajectories;
(2) strengthening of academic self-efficacy and confidence;
(3) cultivation of workplace professionalism; and
(4) strategic management of work-study-life balance.

Concurrently, structural challenges emerged, particularly concerning ASCs’ high caseload volumes inhibiting proactive support, and a pronounced need for more individualised, context-sensitive interventions. Dominant emergent themes underscore the necessity of formalised, reciprocal collaboration protocols between ASCs and academic faculty, alongside advocating for adaptable, student-centred support models responsive to complex apprentice identities.

This research empirically underscores ASCs’ indispensable role in underpinning DA efficacy. As powerful vehicles for enhancing economic productivity and advancing social mobility [4], DAs impose unique demands by integrating full-time occupational roles with intensive degree-level study within a singular programme structure [5]. Sustaining engagement within this challenging paradigm necessitates robust, multi-faceted support systems. Consequently, this study’s primary contribution lies in generating actionable evidence to refine ASC practice, institutional policy, and sectoral guidelines, ultimately empowering apprentices to thrive academically and professionally, thereby maximising their societal and economic impact.

References:
[1] https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED529076.pdf
[2] https://www.inquirylearningcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Fredricks2004-engagemt.pdf
[3] https://www.ucas.com/apprenticeships/degree-apprenticeships
[4] https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/tg-07-2022-0105/full/html
[5] https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Degree-Apprenticeships-Levelling-Up.pdf

Keywords: Education, apprenticeships, coaching.