Navigating tensions in higher education tripartite practice: experiences of the intrinsic–instrumental nature of apprenticeship

Purpose This study explores the experiences of provider representatives within English higher and degree apprenticeships tripartite activity. By surfacing tensions in these Higher Education Tripartite Practitioner (HETP) roles it examines how practices are shaped by divergent transformative educational values and instrumental compliance demands. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative multi-stage approach was employed, using surveys (n = 73, HEIs = 25), focus groups (n = 29, HEIs = 9) and longform surveys (n = 12, HEIs = 6) with HETPs from a range of English Russell Group and Post-92 universities. Data were gathered around key apprenticeship stages and analysed using template analysis. Eight prominent tensions were identified, which informed a novel thematic framework. Findings Four key tensions were identified: Units of Measure, Positionality, Priorities and Time Horizons. These underscore an intrinsic–instrumental dichotomy central to apprenticeship practice, wherein practitioners simultaneously support intrinsically transformative apprentice development process whilst enforcing instrumental regulatory compliance. HETPs navigate this duality through relational strategies, professional hybridity and temporal negotiation. Originality/value This study offers original empirical insights into the tensions experienced by a boundary-spanning workforce in higher education apprenticeships. Identifying fundamental tensions within HETP practice, this novel conceptualization of dualities and continuums in role experience enhances theoretical understanding of boundary-spanning in work-based learning. Demonstrating how these tensions manifest from intrinsic–instrumental dimensions of apprenticeship practice arising from contemporary policy and professional contexts, it situates the HETP as a distinct construct with relevance to apprenticeship systems internationally.