Graduate apprenticeships are a key mechanism for addressing skills shortages across Scotland. From STEM disciplines to digital technology, these programmes promise a structured route into high-demand careers. Since their introduction in 2016, 37,000 people have benefited from foundation and graduate apprenticeships in Scotland.
However, a critical element of their success has been largely overlooked: the role of academic link tutors. As policymakers push for expansion, they’re overlooking the pressures placed on those responsible for making these initiatives work.
- Providing the right resources for students who work alongside study
- How to coach in-employment lifelong learners for success
- Are module leaders missing out on professional development?
The Scottish Funding Council has set ambitious targets for graduate apprenticeship growth. Much attention is devoted to apprentice outcomes, but no one’s discussing how institutions are expected to sustain the workforce needed to support them. Academic link tutors play a central role in maintaining programme quality, ensuring apprentices meet academic standards while adapting to workplace realities. They navigate complex relationships between universities and employers, facilitate professional development, and provide essential pastoral support to apprentices managing study alongside full-time employment. Despite the scale of these responsibilities, there is little in place to support those performing them.
Balancing act
A traditional academic role is structured around research and teaching within a single institution. Link tutors, by contrast, work across multiple organisational cultures, balancing the expectations of universities, employers and apprentices. They travel between workplaces, oversee learning in environments shaped by industry priorities, and act as intermediaries between sectors that operate with fundamentally different objectives.
Yet, many are expected to do this with the same workload allocation as their campus-based colleagues. The demand for individuals who can bridge these distinct worlds is growing, but recruitment and career progression structures have not evolved to reflect the complexity of the role.
The challenge is compounded by funding models that fail to account for the demands of work-based learning. Current formulas are based on conventional student-staff ratios, overlooking the additional time required for workplace visits, employer collaboration and personalised guidance. Without sustainable investment, institutions are left to absorb these pressures internally, leading to burnout among those delivering the programmes.
The importance of professional development
Regulatory frameworks contribute to this challenge. Skills Development Scotland sets high standards for programme quality but outlines limited guidance on the professional development of those responsible for delivering these frameworks. The primary focus remains on apprentices, with less attention given to the structural support required for link tutors to fulfil their roles effectively. As a result, universities face difficulties in establishing conditions that allow these programmes to operate efficiently at scale.
Employer engagement is another critical factor. While industry partners benefit from graduate apprenticeships, their involvement in supporting link tutors remains limited. Successful work-based learning depends on collaboration – yet too often, the responsibility for managing these relationships falls solely on universities. Without structured mechanisms for employer participation, the burden on link tutors intensifies, undermining the sustainability of the model.
What needs to be done?
There is a clear need for action. First, funding structures must reflect the realities of work-based education. Additional investment is required to ensure link tutors have the capacity to manage their responsibilities effectively.
Second, universities must establish targeted support systems, recognising that the skills required for this role extend beyond traditional academic functions. Dedicated professional development and peer networks could help address the challenges involved in work-integrated learning. Finally, employers must take an active role in sustaining these partnerships. This extends beyond providing workplace access, to recognising the expertise of link tutors and integrating them into the learning process in a meaningful way.
Graduate apprenticeships have the potential to transform Scotland’s workforce. However, their long-term success depends on more than policy ambition. Without proper support for those responsible for delivering them, graduate apprenticeship programmes risk falling short of expectations. Investing in link tutors is not an optional enhancement – it is a fundamental requirement for ensuring these apprenticeships meet their intended goals.
Elaine Jackson is a lecturer in psychology and management and Gary Gillon is a lecturer in business and management, both at the University of the West of Scotland.
If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter.
comment