In order to address the requirements of future education in different fields of

academic professional activity, a model called Academic Apprenticeship Education was

initiated in Finland in 2009. The aim of this article is to analyse the development of expert

networks in the context of a 1-year Academic Apprenticeship Education model in the field

of energy efficiency, which is a new and rapidly developing knowledge-intensive field. We

examined the creation of networking ties among all course participants, the process of

networking in small groups, and individual participants’ networking activity. Data was

collected by administering a social networking questionnaire in the beginning and at the

end of the training to all course participants (n = 87) and analysed using social network

analysis and repeated measures ANOVA. In addition, semi-structured interviews were

conducted with organizers of the training to examine how the operational practices of the

training supported networking. The results indicated that there was little change in the

networking ties among all course participants. However, those small groups that were able

to communicate appeared to create internal linkages. At the individual level, more new ties

emerged for private sector actors than for public sector actors. In conclusion, we propose

that a consolidated educational model should be created for the Academic Apprenticeship

Education model in general. The quality of education might be better assured if the current

ad hoc networks were not the only way to organise knowledge exchange among

participants.