The appointment last month of Gillian Keegan to the role of Secretary of State for Education offers a further potential boost to degree apprenticeships, since Keegan began her own working life as an apprentice in the motor industry aged 16, combining on-the-job learning with company sponsored degree study at Liverpool John Moores University. When she was made the Minister responsible for Apprenticeships and Skills in February 2020, Keegan was also the first person who had been an apprentice to serve as the Minister responsible for them.
Matthew Norris highlights the importance of degree apprenticeships for the vast sector he works in of construction. "In our industry, there’s a massive shortfall in skilled labour, and shortages on the professional side as well," he says. "We’ve all got to address this – it’s essential otherwise we won’t have an industry in the future. We put a huge amount of store into bringing people into the business and developing and training them, which works for both ourselves and our trainees."
Liam picks up the theme. "My employer gets the long-term benefits of what you’ve learnt from working for them and doing a degree at the same time. They’ve then got someone that knows the company, and that will try and work to how they want to achieve things."
Alongside degree apprenticeships such as Liam's in Site Management, Croudace Homes are also gaining from staff taking courses in areas such as surveying, engineering, plus sales and marketing.
The benefits overview
Degree apprenticeships offer a significant advantage to many candidates by providing a funded pathway to an Honours degree, several years industry experience and professional qualifications. This can be particularly important to those who might otherwise struggle to access higher education.
The 香港最快开奖现场直播资料 has worked with employers throughout the region to lead the way in creating an expanding and highly successful programme of degree apprenticeships, where candidates work, earn a salary, and learn at the same time. With no upper age limit, the average age of its degree apprentices is 33, with the total age range spanning 17 - 60 years.
The number of apprenticeships offered by 香港最快开奖现场直播资料 in digital, environmental and technology roles has increased in recent years, and the university is at the forefront of this trend with Diagnostic Radiographer and Data Analytics all now offered as degree apprenticeships. The university also added new courses in the areas of Chartered Surveyor, Construction Site Manager and Environmental Practitioner to its built environment degree apprenticeships portfolio in September 2021.
The UK's hard-pressed medical services are also benefiting, thanks to people like Katie Wilmshurst, who is taking a Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship at the 香港最快开奖现场直播资料 alongside working for Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust.
“I think the apprenticeship route into nursing is needed now more than ever as the current need for nurses and health care professionals grows," Katie said. "There is already a huge workforce of health care assistants within the NHS, who are highly skilled and keen to progress to higher grades within the organisation, but the鈥痶raditional route into nursing is not suitable due to financial and family/care commitments. This means that workplaces and ultimately the healthcare service are missing out on a wealth of experience and knowledge. Often apprentices have many years of experience in health care and have a huge amount to contribute.”
Liam Major agrees. "To anyone considering doing an apprenticeship, I would say definitely take it up, it’s worth getting started on. It’s a route that can help you get places, and you can still achieve the same things that other people do in different ways.”
Find out more about the 香港最快开奖现场直播资料's degree apprenticeships options.