About the Project
Research Context & Problem
This project seeks to examine the questions of ‘how can regional institutions improve access to high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for young people? Apprenticeships can support school-to-work transitions and address skills shortages, but provision in England remains uneven and difficult to navigate, particularly for young people in the “missing middle” who do not progress directly to higher education.
This PhD project examines apprenticeship provision in South Yorkshire and how local and regional government – specifically the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) - can support better coordination between employers, education providers and policy actors. It asks how provision can be improved in both quality and quantity, and how young people can be supported to access and complete apprenticeships. The project will ideally draw on theoretical and conceptual ideas from the disciplines of critical political economy, human geography, urban studies, and employment relations.
The Research Opportunity & Development
The successful candidate will contribute to debates in political economy, labour market studies, vocational education and regional development. The project will use a mixed-methods design. The project is expected to include qualitative interviews with young people, employers and local labour market actors, alongside a quantitative element looking at labour market and apprenticeship data. The quantitative element will be broad, policy-focused and supported through doctoral training; applicants are not expected to arrive with advanced technical expertise.
Supervision & Training
You will be supervised by an interdisciplinary team:
• Dr Edward Yates - political economy, youth employment, job quality and regional labour markets.
• Professor Jason Heyes - skills, vocational education, training and labour market policy.
• Professor Vania Sena - entrepreneurship, enterprise, innovation and applied quantitative research.
You will be based in Sheffield University Management School and linked to the Centre for Decent Work. You will undertake the University of Sheffield Doctoral Development Programme and receive training in research design, qualitative methods, quantitative data analysis, academic writing and research impact.