Key new roles in higher education apprenticeships: exploring boundary-spanning identities of tripartite representatives

This research aims to identify who undertakes this HE tripartite representative role, exploring their situated experience and illuminating the professional identities of an evolving workforce that bridges academic, professional, and regulatory boundaries. The study will map existing models of practice across academic disciplines and the four nations, focusing on how parallel frameworks influence approaches to apprentice support. Despite the rapid expansion of HE apprenticeships, these roles are currently hidden and potentially precarious, necessitating recognition and development to enhance best practice and career pathways.