Read: How UWE Bristol uses degree apprenticeships to deliver the best of both worlds
At a recent industry event on social mobility, a guest who had recently completed a degree apprenticeship with a major telecommunications company admitted that it was only once he started his course that he understood there was no catch. He really could study for his degree and get his fees paid, work in an industry setting and gain valuable work experience, all while earning a salary. It’s a perfect mix of both worlds, allowing a student the university experience while also learning the skills that will prepare them for a rewarding - and better paid - career.
More people are recognising the benefits as degree apprenticeships increase in popularity, partly as a result of cost-of-living pressures and the financial impact of going to university but also because many students leaving school would prefer a more technical higher education experience than the traditional academic one. There are hundreds of subject options, with degree apprenticeships available in a range of industries from engineering to science, law, marketing and digital. The first ever NHS doctor apprenticeship will start from September 2024. A new degree apprenticeship in space systems engineering will also launch next year. A student can get a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree through a civil engineering, nursing or biomedical apprenticeship, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in digital marketing or a Bachelor of Laws (LLB).
As engines of social mobility, many Purpose Universities Coalition partners offer degree apprenticeships as a key way of widening access and participation in higher education. UWE Bristol, a long-standing member, has just been named among the top 20 best training providers for apprenticeships in the UK, in the national top 50 in the Rate My Apprenticeship Best Apprenticeships Employers and Training Providers Guide 2023/24. The guide is based on feedback from thousands of young people who completed an apprenticeship last year. The University currently provides over 20 higher and degree apprenticeships in a range of sectors including health, engineering, policing, architecture, business and computer science, working in collaboration with employers from both public and private sectors to develop courses that meet the current needs of employers. Its Apprentices Survey 2022/23 found that 87% of apprentices agree they have developed new or built on existing skills since starting their course.
UWE Bristol’s focused approach to extending opportunity to everyone regardless of background means that it has a diverse intake of students. Its extensive outreach work with local schools and colleges helps those with little knowledge of university or the opportunities that having a degree can open up understand what they need to do to get there. Its #IAmFirstGen initiative brings together businesses, organisations and individuals from across the South West to form a community of students and graduates that are the first in their family to study at degree level, providing them with positive role models so they can learn about the experiences of people like them.
But it’s not just students that benefit from degree apprenticeships. The pipeline of talent that universities produce feeds into local and national economies. Businesses benefit because their collaboration with universities ensures that the courses they offer are relevant and equip graduates with the skills they need. Other businesses are encouraged to invest in the area to take advantage of the supply of well-trained apprentices. The wider economy benefits too, as organisations develop better skilled and productive workforces that helps to ensure they can remain at the cutting edge of green and high tech innovation.
The Purpose Coalition’s comprehensive work with universities and with employers across all sectors has shown consistently that, although there is significant appetite for delivering even more apprenticeships, the current Apprenticeship Levy is far too limited in its scope. By taking advantage of universities’ technical and academic knowledge as well as the sector’s close ties to the local jobs market, there is the potential to extend it. It could be used, for example, to allow employers more freedom to partner with universities to offer upskilling and reskilling courses as well as workplace accreditations. It is an issue that the Coalition and its partners are working hard to highlight, including meeting with the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in September to discuss how the Levy might be adapted to boost levelling up more effectively and grow the economy in the future.
In the meantime, universities like UWE Bristol are continuing to create opportunities that are transformational for their students and the communities they serve.
