The accreditation of work experience: whose interests are served?

Analyses of work based learning (such as that offered by Brennan and Little) have typically ignored the issue of ownership of knowledge. Here the authors consider this issue as it relates to accreditation in the UK higher education sector, arguing that the points raised have relevance for the international community. The main argument is that employing organisations are the main beneficiaries of accreditation, and as such universities need to make a much clearer case for work based learning to safeguard learners – and society – from exploitation and the universities from becoming vessels for narrowly defined performance statements, unworthy of higher education.