Mental Health and Wellbeing in Work Based Learning and Apprenticeships
Advisory note on sensitive content: This blog post mentions mental health and suicide which may be upsetting or triggering for some readers. Sources of support are listed in the reference section below.
This week, on Thursday 13 March, the Open University marked University Mental Health Day (UMHD) with a range of wellbeing activities for staff and students. Co-organised by Student Minds and UMHAN, #UniMentalHealthDay is an annual acknowledgement of the need to better support those studying with their mental health and wellbeing (UMHD, 2025). In this blog post, Jenny Hillman considers what more universities might need to do to understand the needs of work-based learners and apprentices.
Mental health at university
Recent reporting suggests a continuing increase in the number of students sharing a mental health condition at university. In the UK, universities are responding with whole institutional approaches to supporting student mental health, with many adopting the Suicide Safer guidance from Universities UK (2018). The Open University (OU), like many other providers, developed a Student and Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy to reflect this commitment.
Unfortunately, the persistence of the mental health degree awarding gap that exists across the sector tells us that most universities have a lot of work to do to reduce inequalities for students with mental health conditions. Yet, a growing corpus of research reflects at least a greater awareness (and hopefully an enhanced understanding) of student mental health experiences and how these are also shaped by things like race, disability and neurodiversity, sexual and gender identity, and socio-economic background (see Butcher, Awan and Gray, 2021 for an example of a study on student intersectionality in mental health).
Universities are also increasingly offering a range of mental health services for students (such as counselling) and seeking to strengthen wellbeing, rather than just responding reactively to students in crisis (Lister et al, 2023). This is reflected in the vocabulary we use, where ‘mental health’ and ‘wellbeing’ are distinct things but also overlapping in institutional approaches to pastoral support and student welfare. Of course, ‘wellbeing’ itself is not unproblematic as a term because its meanings are culturally situated. In HE, our discussions of student ‘wellbeing’ are largely rooted in language which reflects Westernised conceptions of the word which are fundamentally different from meanings of ‘wellbeing’ in other cultural traditions. Accepting that these definitions are themselves imperfect, then, for the purposes of this post I am adopting the following:
‘Mental health refers to a full spectrum of experience ranging from good mental health to mental illness […] Wellbeing will encompass a wider framework of which mental health is an integral part, but which also includes physical and social wellbeing’ (Advance HE, 2022).
Work-based learners
The mental health and wellbeing of those on work-based learning or apprenticeship programmes has received less attention than the experiences of students on other modes of study (Umeokafor and Okoro, 2023). Whilst some might argue that apprenticeships are more ‘alt-uni’ than an ‘alternative to uni’ (WonkHE, 2025), it is clear that the challenges for work-based learners with mental health needs may be experienced in very different ways. In England, HE has seen significant growth in higher and degree apprenticeships (HEPI, 2023; HEPI 2025) and, despite some wobbles over apprenticeship reforms proposed by a new Labour government (THE, 2024), work-based learning is going to be increasingly important for addressing the UK skills gap.
Crucially, apprentices and work-based learners must navigate the demands of traditional study and meeting academic standards, as well as being secure in the professional competencies that their employer expects to see. In addition to the familiar academic stressors recognised in much of the literature on student mental health, studies focused on apprentices and work-based learners have found additional challenges. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, many of these challenges reflect the complexity of the relationship between the employer-apprentice/student-workplace-and university.
Scholars have noted, for example, that learner mental health and wellbeing may be affected by:
- The readiness and/or ability of their employer (line manager, colleagues etc) to ‘foster meaningful integration between their work and studies’ (Lomas, 2024).
- The university relationship with their employer and how that plays out in Tripartite Review Meetings (Lomas, 2024).
- Employers allowing sufficient time for study (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021).
- ‘Misalignment’ between academic learning outcomes and workplace objectives (Fuller and Unwin, 2011).
- The feeling of ‘worthwhileness’ in their course or programme (Umeokafor and Okoro, 2023).
- Income and broader quality of life that their job role affords them (Umeokafor and Okoro, 2023).
- The relationship and perceived ‘approachability’ of the tutor (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021; Marsden and Youde, 2012).
- Tutor understanding of the learner/apprentice’s context (including their commitments and personal circumstances outside of work) (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021).
- Opportunities for apprentices to contribute to student ‘voice’ in the university (in matters such as policy, curriculum design and student community activities) (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021).
- Employer and university understanding of, and signposting to, mental health support available for work-based learners and apprentices (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021).
It is worth acknowledging that the study experience for apprentices is different to that for students on professional programmes and vice versa. However, I included insights from research across these areas in this blog post because I believe that both will help us to consider the experiences of learners navigating a dual workplace-academic identity and the demands of that.
In the Practice Tuition Training and Development team within ALSPD (Associate Lecturer Support and Professional Development), we are continuing this conversation at our next cross-faculty professional development event on 25 March 2025 focused on Mental Health and Wellbeing in Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships If you are a member of staff, you can register here for this event: internal link).
For me, 2 key questions I will continue to reflect on are:
- In the HE sector, do we have a nuanced enough understanding of the unique mental health and wellbeing challenges that might exist for those undertaking work-based learning and/or apprenticeships? How can we best enhance our understanding using insights from our staff and students?
- Do the interventions that universities have designed for mental health and wellbeing support in recent decades meet the needs of learners undertaking placements or with substantial workplace commitments?
Please let us know your thoughts about mental health and wellbeing in work-based learning by commenting or reaching out via email.
References
Butcher, J., Awan, R. and Gray, D. (2021). ‘How do we talk about race…and mental health?’ Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 23(3), pp. 147–162.
Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2011) ‘Apprenticeship as an Evolving Model of Learning’. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 63(3), p.261-66.
HEPI (2023). Available at: Standards, starts and achievements: Quality and growth in the HE apprenticeship market – HEPI (Accessed: 13 March 2025).
HEPI (2025). Available at: Degree Apprenticeships in England: What Can We Learn from the Experiences of Apprentices, Employers, and Education and Training Providers? – HEPI (Accessed: 13 March 2025).
Lomas, J. (2024) ‘Higher Education Apprenticeship Pedagogies: A Multilateral Approach, in Barr, M. (Ed.). Approaches to Work-Based Learning in Higher Education: Improving Graduate Employability (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi-org.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/10.4324/9781003496779
Lister, K., Seale, J. and Douce, C. (2023) ‘Mental health in distance learning: a taxonomy of barriers and enablers to student mental wellbeing’, Open learning, 38(2), pp. 102–116. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2021.1899907.
Marsden, F. and Youde, A. (2012) ‘Fostering a transactional presence: a practical guide to supporting work-based learners’. In: Part-Time study: the new paradigm for Higher Education? UALL, Leicester, UK. Available at: Huddersfield Repository – University of Huddersfield (Accessed: 13 March 2025).
Umeokafor, N. and Soares, A. (2021). Delivery features of apprenticeship courses: The influence on the mental health and wellbeing of apprentices. Available at: Umeokafor-N-49833-VoR.pdf (Accessed: 11 March 2025).
Umeokafor, N. and Okoro, C. (2023). Mental health and wellbeing experiences of Higher Education apprentices. In: Digital Transformation of Health and Safety in Construction. University of Porto, Portugal, 21st – 22nd June 2023. CIB International Council for Research & Innovation in Building & Construction, Kanata, ON Canada, pp. 243-252. ISBN 978-9727523092. Available at: 43052_UMEOKAFOR_Mental_health_and_wellbeing_experiences_of_Higher_Education_apprentices.pdf (Accessed: 13 March 2025).
Universities UK (2018). ‘Suicide-Safer Universities’ available at: Suicide-safer universities (Accessed: 12 March 2025).
WonkHE (2025). Apprenticeships are not an “alternative” to uni, they’re alt-uni | Wonkhe (Accessed: 13 March 2025).
Sources of support for mental health
UK Gov Resources for Supporting your apprentice
MIND – Planning for a mental health crisis – Mind
SHOUT – Shout Crisis Text Line
Crisis support
NHS – Mental health services – NHS
SAMARITANS – Samaritans