Apprenticeship students outperformed those taking a traditional chemistry degree at the University of Bradford

A larger proportion of chemistry students on the University of Bradford’s part-time laboratory scientist degree apprenticeship passed their module exams on the first attempt than those on its full-time BSc course – despite both groups receiving nearly identical teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. While both courses at the university have since closed due to financial pressures and low student numbers, the researchers behind the analysis say their data illustrates how vocational routes can support strong academic outcomes for chemical scientists.

In 2018 the UK university opened its laboratory scientist (chemistry) degree apprenticeship programme where course content is delivered online to students employed in relevant roles in companies across the UK. This is an alternative option to its Royal Society of Chemistry-accredited BSc programme where students live on campus and study full-time for three years. The course content of each is largely the same and follows the same curriculum.

The Covid-19 pandemic saw BSc students transition from in-person to remote lectures, alongside some practical sessions – a hybrid approach very similar to the degree apprenticeship programme. This created an opportunity for programme leads Clare-Louise Peyton and Thomas Swift to directly compare student outcomes across the two formats. Analysing student data from 2016 to 2024 they broke down pass rates by module and found that apprenticeship students consistently outperformed their full-time counterparts, with an overall pass rate of 90% compared to 73%. ‘The fact so many students were sitting the same exams – with content taught by the same staff – but getting clearly different outcomes was striking,’ says Swift.

Peyton and Swift reasoned that during the pandemic, BSc students quickly became disengaged with the subject as it disrupted their usual on-campus study and daily contact with lecturers. In contrast, degree apprenticeship students applied their chemistry knowledge daily in their jobs and received regular feedback through tripartite meetings with their employer and lecturers.

Mike Watkinson, deputy pro-vice-chancellor of the faculty of science and engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK and a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s professional standards board, comments ‘I have absolutely no doubt of the value of vocation-linked learning, but overall, the study left me wanting more evidence. Further information is required: for instance, the regular tripartite reviews and the age range of students may be impactful on performance; and the companies supporting the apprenticeship students may have provided extra support such as IT resources or even furloughed some students.’

There were significant demographic differences between the two programmes. The degree apprenticeship had a higher male intake, far lower ethnic diversity and fewer students with a reported disability. Although these differences may partly explain variations in performance, Peyton and Swift note that students entering both programmes had similar UCAS points.

‘This study highlights the strategic value of supporting degree apprenticeships; with the notably high pass rate, the return on investment for employers is both measurable and compelling,’ says Dario Castiglione from AWE, an organisation that supports degree apprentices across many disciplines. ‘During the pandemic we provided additional CPD [continuous professional development] and learning opportunities for colleagues working remotely. Perhaps the pandemic provided as much an opportunity, as well as a challenge, to the apprentices at that time?’

‘Degree apprenticeships in science are a major training route throughout most of Europe and they should be in the UK if we want to protect key industries,’ adds Swift. ‘If we don’t train people to work in the chemical industry, who understand molecules and reactivity, those industries will die out – far quicker than I think most of us realise.’