the interests of disadvantaged sections of society, but this could be at the expense of the more advantaged and prosperous. One area is mobility. The more prosperous are able to relocate to benefit from employment and personal development opportunities.
Archer (2007) and David (2009) suggest that to further establish the vision of diversity within HE, the government claims it has created choices for non-traditional learners and has encouraged HE institutions to identify and locate themselves within the HE market as service providers, targeting specific “consumers”. They further suggest that the WP policies offer no real “consumer” choice, rather the choices on offer are tightly bound and restricted according to one's social background, given that, as they argue, diversity across the student population does not necessarily equate with equal forms of participation or results.
It is argued that the widening participation agenda has created what Archer (2007) describes as new tertiary tripartism. The “tiers”, Archer explains, result in what equates to gold, silver and bronze perceptions of universities, specialising consecutively in research, teaching, and those predominantly catering for the non- traditional students. It was clear in a study conducted by David (2009) that when mature females participated, they attended lower status universities. Archer (2007) notes that “bronze universities” generally fail to offer social mobility opportunities and are tied into the lifelong learning policy agenda. Skeggs' analysis (2004), which discusses the processes through which social class is constructed, argues that processes of “immobility” and “fixing” are central to the reproduction of social inequalities. In this view, the privileged are able to access the national and international arena, whilst the less privileged are restricted to less powerful spaces which generally restrict their opportunities to become professionally mobile.
The foundation degree (fd) qualification As a result of collaboration between the Further Education Colleges (FECs) and HEIs, foundation degrees (fd) were launched in the late 1990s. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) describes foundation degrees as degree-level qualifications which combine academic study with workplace learning designed in association with employers. They are qualifications to equip people with the relevant skills, knowledge and understanding to achieve academic results as well as improve performance and productivity in the workplace.
This “new” tier qualification was seen as the answer to upskilling current employees working in low-skilled roles. Parry (2005) pointed to the new expectation placed upon post compulsory education institutions being a source of unease in both the HE and Further Education (FE) sectors. The concerns primarily focussed on the weak demand for sub-degree courses and the quality of HE accredited courses delivered through colleges. The unease continued outside the educational sector, and the fd qualification has stimulated much debate in workplaces which have become developers of new professions, as in health and education, for example. The role of the assistant practitioner (AP) has been developed to transcend professional boundaries.
Evetts (2011) expounds the occupational and institutional approaches taken to new professionalism within the NHS. The former focuses on individuals and groups and creates opportunities to improve occupational status through education and skills development. The institutional approach is focused on the hierarchical structure which includes elements of bureaucracy, output and performance measures through specific styles of management. In response to the need to modernise the NHS and to address the significant economic challenges facing the public sector provision, as well as the shortage of nurses and teachers, the role of the AP has been created.
Within the care sector, the fd qualification has provided the platform from which to launch new professionals. Tierney and Slack (2005) and Foskett (2003) acknowledge that whether in the public or private
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