PhD Studentship: Apprenticeship Provision in South Yorkshire: Improving Opportunities for Young People

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.

Candidate Profile

We welcome applicants from relevant disciplines including sociology, economics, education, human resource management, political economy, geography, business and management, or related social sciences. Applicants should have an interest in youth transitions, apprenticeships, skills policy, labour markets or regional development, and a willingness to work with policymakers and external stakeholders.

Candidates should possess strong critical thinking and analytical skills, including the ability to engage fully with a wide range of theoretical literatures.  The candidate should also have experience of collecting primary data, ideally qualitative and quantitative, and have experience analysing data and presenting findings.  Additional training will be provided.

Entry Requirements and Application

Applicants should have, or expect to obtain, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK upper second-class honours degree or above, and a Masters level qualification at Merit or above. English language requirements are IELTS 7.0 overall, with at least 6.5 in each component, or equivalent.

Applicants must submit an online application and a fully referenced research proposal of approximately 3,000 words, excluding bibliography, based on this project. Informal enquiries are welcome: edward.yates@sheffield.ac.uk. 

Closing Date: 26 June 2026

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