Police forces as learning organisations: learning through apprenticeships

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 741-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex F. Leek
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Police Training ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Collaborative Development ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Police Education ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Police Forces

PurposeThe challenge for policing in England and Wales is to evolve how it recruits and educates a workforce able to cope with the demands of contemporary policing. This paper will examine how forces, who aspire to become learning organisations, have embraced the transition from police training to higher and degree apprenticeships and work-integrated learning. This paper will also benefit practitioners, leaders, provider staff, police staff, policy makers, all who have an interest in police education and the transitions currently being implemented. It also seeks to contribute to the conversation about the transition of policing to a graduate profession and looks to add value, to inform practice, raise standards and enhance policing practice in general.Design/methodology/approachCase study and draws on the experience of the collaboration of four universities to develop a national offer to meet the requirements of the Police Education Qualification Framework (PEQF) and how this has been further co-created in partnership with three forces. The data are drawn from first-hand experience of working with university and force colleagues over 18 months, including meeting records, documentation that has been produced and scrutinised by the College of Policing and the four universities through shared, multi-university and force quality assurance and validation processes. This data have been considered against the conceptual framework developed by Senge and others to support an analysis of how the collaborative development activity undertaken has contributed to police forces moving towards becoming learning organisations.FindingsThe findings from the analysis of the forces' engagement with the process of change show that the collaborative development work undertaken is ongoing and does indeed contribute to forces becoming learning organisations. The forces do see the associated benefits, and this may in turn lead to better-trained police officers and more effective force organisations. In addition, the model of collaboration and co-creation that has been adopted can provide a model of good practice for other forces and other universities to follow and from which to learn.Social implicationsAn aim of this paper is to encourage the development of police forces for become learning organisations. The implied benefits of this are various but primarily the greatest benefit is aimed at wider society. A more educated, informed and professionally competent police officer, who in turn is part of a learning organisation, will only serve to improve operational policing, community justice and community cohesion.Originality/valueThis paper examines a transition in policing which presents only once in a lifetime. The transition to a degree entry profession is critical to the evolution of policing in England and Wales. The work of the Police Education Consortium (PEC) and the three forces is a new initiative and covers ground not explored previously. This paper offers a conceptual frame to examine these lessons learned from the development of this initiative and partnership, with a view to share that learning across higher education, policing, criminal justice and those involved in degree level apprenticeships. It promotes the view that work-integrated learning, the workplace and higher education can coexist comfortably and engender the development of police forces as learning organisations.

Investigating work-integrated learning and its relevance to skills development in degree apprenticeships

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 767-781
Author(s):  
Iro Konstantinou ◽  
Elizabeth Miller
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Public And Private Sector ◽  
The Uk

PurposePrevious research suggests that higher education provision, the government's knowledge-based economic agenda and the attributes employers look for in graduates are not always aligned, leading to a skill shortage and the production of graduates who are not “work ready”. Degree apprenticeships (DAs) are well placed to address this gap because employers are involved in both the design and delivery of higher education and work with higher education institutions (HEIs) to develop the skills both parties believe graduates need through work-integrated learning (WIL). This paper will address how DAs can be utilised to that purpose.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on data collected from students, ranging from their first to final years, enrolled in the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) programme at a higher education provider in London, UK. The national context of the UK is crucial both because of how DAs have been introduced by the government; how the pedagogical implications defer from other national contexts and work based provision and also because there are clear contrasts in how the private and public sector in the UK are “using” degree apprentices. The authors adopted an exploratory research design using semi-structured interviews and focus groups.FindingsThe authors argue that a reflective approach in assessed coursework, in conjunction with an explicit focus on the skill development of students, can enhance the experience of degree apprentices completing WIL modules. The authors highlight the potential of WIL modules in advancing the ability of degree apprentices to reflect on their practice while they are working and studying, a process which can have long- term benefits to their professional identity. The authors draw attention to the affordances given to apprentices to develop their professional identity drawing comparisons between the public and private sector in the UK.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the work on DAs and WIL currently being undertaken in the UK. By exploring the case study of a cohort of DAs engaging in productive reflection with regards to the skills they develop at the workplace and in the classroom, the authors point to a way in which module development can integrate such reflective elements.

Academic's perceptions of work-integrated learning in non-vocational disciplines

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle A. Lloyd ◽  
Bonnie Amelia Dean ◽  
Michelle J. Eady ◽  
Conor West ◽  
Venkata Yanamandram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

PurposeWork-integrated learning (WIL) is a strategy that enhances student learning and employability by engaging students in real-world settings, applications and practices. Through WIL, tertiary education institutions forge partnerships with industry to provide students with access to activities that will contribute to their career-readiness and personal growth. The purpose of the paper is to explore academics perceptions of WIL from non-vocational disciplines, where WIL opportunities are less prevalent.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a qualitative, case-study methodology to unpack academics' reflections on the question “What does WIL mean to you?” Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 subject coordinators across a number of non-vocational degrees at one university in Australia. Open coding and thematic analysis was used to explore qualitative data and identify common themes.FindingsData suggest that academics largely have placement-based understandings of WIL that cause tensions for embedding WIL meaningfully in their courses. Tensions surface when WIL is perceived as a pedagogy that contributes to the neoliberal agenda that sits in conflict with theoretical approaches and that restrict notions of career.Originality/valueAlthough WIL is not relevant in all subjects, these understandings are a useful starting point to introduce WIL meaningfully, in various ways and where appropriate, in order to provide students opportunities for learning and employability development. The paper has implications for faculty, professional learning and institutional strategies concerning WIL for all students.

Entrepreneurial Work-Integrated Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 119-136
Author(s):  
Alon Eisenstein ◽  
Neta Raz
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Job Security ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Gen Y ◽  
The World ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

After decades of decreasing long-term job security and ongoing global economic crises, attention on and interest in entrepreneurship have significantly increased among Gen Y and Gen Z students in higher education institutions around the world. The pedagogical potential of work-integrated learning (WIL) and the increased offering of entrepreneurship programs in higher education intersect in a field referred to as entrepreneurial WIL (EWIL). This field, where WIL pedagogy is applied to deliver the learning outcomes of entrepreneurship education, is discussed here. The unique features and associated challenges that EWIL presents, particularly when compared with traditional forms of WIL experiences, are also examined, from the framework of a case study conducted on an internship-based course offered in a Canadian university. This chapter contributes to an understanding of the various factors that should be considered when developing novel EWIL programs in higher education institutions.

Designing Meaningful Learning Environments in a Work-Integrated-Learning Course Using a DOCC Design

2016 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Kathy Jordan ◽  
Jennifer Elsden-Clifton
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Space And Place ◽  
First Year ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Distributed Framework ◽  
Bachelor Of Education ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

As Higher Education increasingly moving towards a plethora of blended and fully online learning, questions are raised around the space and place of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL). This chapter reports on one institution's efforts to design and deliver a WIL course in a Teacher Education program adopting an open and distributed framework. The redesigned course, Orientation to Teaching, was a first year course in a Bachelor of Education (Primary) program at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. The redesign of the course was underpinned by a Distributed Open Collaborative Course (DOCC) design and as the workplace also became the site of learning, the theory of effective WIL curriculum (Orrell, 2011) also informed the design. This chapter examines the complexity of DOCC design in WIL contexts and uses Khan's 8 dimensions to frame the discussion.

scholarly journals Work Integrated Learning at Tertiary Level to Enhance Graduate Employability in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Faieza Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Government ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

In the last few years, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Bangladesh have been under severe pressure to transform the way they operate. The present Government of Bangladesh requires all universities to improve their quality of education and has implemented various projects such as Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) in collaboration with the World Bank. As Bangladesh has set a target to transition out of the status of Least Developed Country (LDC) to Developing country by 2024, graduate employability and education quality are pivotal interests for the Government of Bangladesh. This paper investigates the concept of work integrated learning (WIL) and generic skills vital to enhance the employability of the current graduates in Bangladesh. We explore different types of WIL that can be applied at higher academic institutions in Bangladesh and what are the various benefits of this type of learning to the key stakeholders, namely; students, universities and employers. Finally, we conclude by pointing out the prerequisites that need to be considered in order to successfully implement WIL in Bangladesh. This is a descriptive study and we have collected data from different secondary sources such as documents available from government agencies, research organizations, archives and library. Moreover, we have also used interviews from sources such as newspapers and magazines documenting views of well-respected academicians and personalities in Bangladesh. Our findings indicate that in order to successfully integrate WIL, there are some prerequisites such as modifying the current curriculum, designing and offering work oriented courses, building strong connections with potential employers and creating awareness about WIL among faculty members and students.

When things go wrong: the implications for facilitators of work integrated learning placements in international destinations

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Agnew ◽  
Elizabeth Abery ◽  
Sam Schulz ◽  
Shane Pill
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Staff Wellbeing ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

PurposeInternational work integrated learning (iWIL) placements for university students are widely promoted within universities. However, they cannot be offered and sustained without a great deal of time and effort; most commonly the responsibility of an assigned university facilitator. Preparation and support are essential for a positive student experience and iWIL outcome. However, not all experiences and outcomes are positive, or predictable.Design/methodology/approachPersonal vignettes of university iWIL facilitators are used to create a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) of experiences and outcomes where placements have been affected by unexpected or unprecedented “critical incidents” and the impact incurred on these academics. The vignettes are analyzed according to the Pitard (2016) six-step structural analysis model.FindingsAnalysis of the vignettes identifies a resulting workload cost, emotional labor and effect on staff wellbeing. Due to the responsibility and expectations of the position, these incidents placed the university iWIL facilitator in a position of vulnerability, stress, added workload and emotional labor that cannot be compared to other academic teaching roles.Practical implicationsIt is intended through the use of “real life” stories presented in the vignettes, to elicit consideration and recognition of the role of the iWIL facilitator when dealing with “the negatives” and “bring to light” management and support strategies needed.Originality/valueResearch is scant on iWIL supervisor experience and management of “critical incidents”, therefore this paper adds to the literature in an area previously overlooked.

Mental capacity legislation and its impact on parents with learning difficulties involved in childcare and family law proceedings assessments in England and Wales

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-32
Author(s):  
Daniel T. Wilcox ◽  
Leam A. Craig ◽  
Marguerite L. Donathy ◽  
Peter MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Family Law ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Mental Capacity ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of mental capacity legislation when applied to parents with learning difficulties who lack capacity within childcare and family law proceedings in England and Wales. Design/methodology/approach The paper relies on a range of material including reports published by independent mental health foundations, official inquiries and other public bodies. It also refers to academic and practitioner material in journals and government guidance. Findings The paper critically reviews the application of the guidance when assessing mental capacity legislation as applied in England and Wales and offers by way of illustration several case examples where psychological assessments, and the enhancement of capacity, have assisted parents who were involved in childcare and family law proceedings. Research limitations/implications There has been little published research or governmental reports on the number of cases when parents involved in childcare and family law proceedings have been found to lack capacity. No published prevalence data are available on the times when enhancing capacity has resulted in a change of outcome in childcare and family law proceedings. Practical implications The duty is on the mental health practitioners assessing mental capacity that they do so in a structured and supportive role adhering to good practice guidance and follow the guiding principles of mental capacity legislation assuming that the individual has capacity unless it is established that they lack capacity. Guidance and training is needed to ensure that the interpretation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and its application is applied consistently. Social implications For those who are considered to lack mental capacity to make specific decisions, particularly within childcare and family law proceedings, safeguards are in place to better support such individuals and enhance their capacity in order that they can participate more fully in proceedings. Originality/value While the MCA legislation has now been enacted for over ten years, there is very little analysis of the implications of capacity assessments on parents involved in childcare and family law proceedings. This paper presents an overview and, in places, a critical analysis of the new safeguarding duties of mental health practitioners when assessing for, and enhancing capacity in parents.

Work integrated learning internships in transnational education

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Bilsland ◽  
Leanne Carter ◽  
Leigh N. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Theory Approach ◽  
Transnational Education ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Stakeholder ◽  
Employment Transitions ◽  
Stakeholder Perspectives ◽  
University Support ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

Purpose Research into employability initiatives such as work integrated learning (WIL) in transnational education (TNE) is scarce, and the alumni voice in TNE is largely unreported. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to TNE research by investigating the value of internship electives in the TNE campus location. Design/methodology/approach A grounded theory approach employed semi-structured interviews with local business undergraduate alumni in Vietnam. Findings Internships were instrumental to local graduate employment transitions. University support of WIL internships was a valuable differentiator in the Vietnamese university context, where internships lack formal support mechanisms. Alumni regarded internships as transformational learning journeys, rather than simply as pathways to post-graduate jobs. Research limitations/implications The scope of the study was Vietnam. Findings imply the importance of incorporating local stakeholder perspectives into TNE, particularly regarding WIL. Practical implications Universities that operate in transnational environments must meet local stakeholder needs by providing authentic, industry-related learning activities. The findings support the integration of WIL internships into TNE programmes in Vietnam and further research relevant to other TNE contexts. Originality/value The study contributes to underdeveloped TNE research around employability in general, and more specifically about the particular value of internships in TNE campus locations. Alumni stakeholders constitute uniquely valuable feedback sources based on their shared experience as TNE students, interns and graduate employees in local work environments. Their insights enable universities to facilitate locally relevant learning outcomes.

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