This research explores new higher education institutions (HEIs) in England, which began life in the last 5-10 years and are now delivering higher education (HE) provision. Earlier research investigated how new HEIs began their journey of setting-up and developing a new HEI, exploring initial visions and how pedagogies and learning approaches were being developed (Emms et al, 2023). It found that new HEIs conceived their mission as addressing deficiencies in existing university provision (BIS, 2016) to prepare students sufficiently for a varied portfolio career in a complex world, responding to concerns that university offerings do not always align with labour market needs (Tomlinson, 2012). In response, the HE sector in England shows a growing trend towards diversifying its provision aiming to enhance graduate employability and address employer demands for work-ready graduates. Research has pointed towards the importance of work-related experiences in HE and equipping students with skills to foster their employability (Donald et al., 2018; Kersh et al., 2025). Germany, on the other hand, has a well-established system in which vocational and HE have co-existed as equally strong parts of the overall transition of young people from school to employment (Ertl, 2021). One specific programme is the hybrid study programme (Kuhlee et al., 2023) that gained prominence in Germany in the early 1970s linking the programme close to labour market needs. While similar programme exists in Austria, its growth has only picked up from 2011 (Haas & Humpl, 2019).

A parallel set of challenges across the HE sector relate to growing levels of student disengagement and low attendance levels. Students report feeling little incentive to attend in-person teaching, citing cost-of-living pressures, work commitments and a perceived worthlessness in traditional lecture formats (Otte, 2024). In this context, some new HE provision has been recognised for adopting innovative pedagogies designed to address these issues (Pyakurel, 2024). Institutions offering practically-orientated programmes, for example, emphasise applied learning, industry collaboration and team-based problem-solving, aligning curricula more closely with the world of work (Kersh et al., 2025). Such developments have also been witnessed in Scotland’s HE system with the introduction of Graduate Apprenticeships in 2017, which, in their short lifespan, have already played an important role in Scotland’s work-based learning offer. Emms et al. (2021) found that they have enabled graduates to develop the broader ‘meta-skills’ and rich workplace experience employers’ demand.

Despite examples of good practice from some HE providers offering work-related and work-based learning opportunities across Europe, the literature highlights structural and developmental challenges that they have faced. In England, issues have been raised around some of the struggles associated with new HE providers such as striking the right balance between student voice and over-surveying students. Mapletoft et al. (2023) focussed on non-traditional mature degree apprentices from one institution, they found ‘difficulties of embedding meaningful student representation and closing the feedback loop’ in a new provider context.

The Higher Education and Research Act (HERA) (2017) afforded the HE sector the ability for new HEIs to apply for their own degree awarding powers (DAPs) with the ultimate aim to gain protected status and title of ‘university’. However, the regulatory framework intended to support innovation can feel overly burdensome for new HEIs and can be a barrier to innovation. Research (Emms et al., 2023) points to tensions between the entrepreneurial agility that should be inherent in these new HE providers and the inflexibility of the legislation designed to bring about innovation, with quality assurance processes sometimes inhibiting curriculum experimentation (Bond et al., 2023). These pressures risk diverting capacity away from core tasks of culture‑building, pedagogic development and student support, when resources are already scarce.

New HEIs are a feature, not just across England, but countries across the world are developing new HEIs to respond to the changing needs of students and the world in the 21st century (Penprase and Pickus, 2024). This paper aims to explore how these institutions in England have developed in their journeys to become universities. Specifically, the research aims to answer: • How have the visions of new HEIs evolved over time? • In what way are new HEIs different from ‘traditional’ HE providers? • How are new HEIs’ provision perceived and experienced by students and staff? In order to answer the research questions, the qualitative approach employed semi-structured interviews and focus groups with various stakeholders associated with six new HEIs in England. Online semi-structured interviews took place with senior leadership team members and teaching staff, current and past students. In-person focus group interviews also took place with some of the student groups attending new HEIs. In total 37 participants were interviewed. At the time of interviews, the participating institutions were actively delivering courses. Interviews lasted approximately 60 minutes and all interviews and focus groups were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The qualitative data was analysed using thematic analyses to draw out common themes within the data (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The research adheres to the BERA Ethical Guidelines 2024. Participants received an information sheet and consent form prior to interviews. Participation was voluntary and participants had the right to withdraw at any time. All interviewees and participants will remain anonymous.

Findings from the interviews show that new HEIs are challenging traditional HE approaches to respond to crises facing the HE sector, including lack of work-readiness, low attendance, poor engagement with learning, and poor mental health. Interdisciplinary degrees were a feature of many of the new HEIs with institutions claiming to teach beyond the realms of single disciplines, and instead organising learning at a higher level of complex world problems. This facilitated the application of the classroom learning to the real world. The interviewees overwhelmingly highlighted the importance of real-world relevance of the activities and tasks with which students engage during their degree programmes. These activities are often linked to engaging with employers who actively support curriculum delivery. During these activities, students have to marry their theoretical knowledge with practical applications to find solutions to real life problems. These exercises mimic real work situations and students become better prepared for the world of work. One of the most pertinent factors at new HEIs was the individualised support and experience that students felt ran through many aspects of their university experience, giving them what was regarded as a highly personalised experience. This is a result of small cohort sizes, lack of lecture-style teaching and close staff–student relationships which create an environment where ‘everybody knows your name’. Staff are approachable and learners feel genuinely seen. Classrooms were described as collaborative, discursive spaces where students were encouraged to contribute, ask questions freely and receive tailored guidance. Staff were better at supporting students because they knew their individual strengths and weaknesses, therefore staff knew when and how certain students needed help in class. The personalised approach, the real-world relevance of the curricula, along with other features that will be discussed, are all thought to support the work-readiness of the students attending these new HEIs.

BIS (Department for Business, Innovation & Skills). (May 2016). Success as a Knowledge Economy: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/523546/bis-16-265-success-as-a-knowledgeeconomy-web.pdf Bond, K., Gibbs, B., Harris, G., Lewis, E., Pate, A., Renyard, J., Wint, N., & Wood, G. C. (2023). Literature Review: When Quality Assurance Meets Innovation in Higher Education. Working Paper. Available at: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10199545/1/quality-and-innovation-project-literature-review.pdf Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3 (2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa Donald, W. E. et al. (2018). Students’ perceptions of education and employability: Facilitating career transition from higher education into the labor market. Career development international. 23 (5), 513–540. Emms, K., Laczik, A., Newton, O. and Wilson, E. (2021). Graduate Apprenticeships: Developing Scotland’s Future Workforce. London: Edge Foundation. Emms, K., Laczik, A. and Patel, J. (2023). New Higher Education Institutions in England: A real chance to innovate? London: Edge Foundation. Ertl, H. (2021): Bildungssysteme im Vergleich: Die britische Sicht auf die deutsche Berufsbildung im Zeitverlauf, in: Bellmann et al. (eds.): Schlüsselthemen der beruflichen Bildung in Deutschland. Ein historischer Überblick zu wichtigen Debatten und zentralen Forschungsfeldern (Bonn: BIBB), 384-398. Haas, J., & Humpl, S. (2019). Duale Studienangebote. Ein Zukunftsmodell für Österreichs Hochschulen? In A. Pausitis, R. Aichinger & M. Unger (Hrsg.), Qua vadis Hochschule? Beiträge zur evidenzbasierten Hochschulentwicklung (pp. 113–127). Waxmann. Kersh, N., Emms, K., Laczik, A. and Latimer, J. (2025). Building bridges between higher education and employment: learning from practically-based HE. London: The Edge Foundation. Kuhlee, D. (2023, 22-25 August). Diversifying the Higher Education Landscape: Facilitating transition from HE and HIVE to the world of work. [Conference presentation]. ECER 2023, Glasgow, UK. Mapletoft, N., Mapletoft, O.C. & Henderson, T. (2023). Being first: the student experience at a new higher education provider. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 28 (3), 152-159. Otte, J. (2024). ‘I see little point’: UK university students on why attendance has plummeted. The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/may/28/i-see-little-point-uk-university-students-on-why-attendance-has-plummeted Penprase, B. and Pickus, N. (2024). The New Global Universities: Reinventing Education in the 21st Century. Princeton University Press. Pyakurel, P. (2024). Steps to adapt engineering education to changing skills demands. Times Higher Education. Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/steps-adapt-engineering-education-changing-skills-demands Tomlinson, M. (2012) Graduate employability: A review of conceptual and empirical themes. Higher Education Policy, 25 (4), 407–431.