Degree Apprenticeships are a great opportunity for those that want to study for a degree without the burden of heavy debts commonly associates with going to university. On average students burden themselves with over £30k worth of student debt to cover their university fees. Degree apprenticeships have no associated costs as they are fully funded by the apprentice employer.
Degree apprenticeships still require you to attend university part-time, at least 20% of your training programme. The Degree apprenticeship was only introduced to the UK in September 2015, already many companies across the UK are partnering with leading universities to offer degree apprenticeships. Apprentice employers are offer both new and existing employees the opportunity to start a degree apprenticeship to attain a bachelors or masters degree.
Degree apprenticeships are slightly different to other levels as your qualification is wholly dependent on your subject area as opposed to the job you are directly doing. Your employer may also combine your on the job training with other related qualifications.
What is the qualifying criteria for an degree apprenticeship?
There are a few routes to starting a Level 6 apprenticeship, you can complete an advanced apprenticeship and jump straight to this level or you may have already achieved the entry requirements at school or college. The final way to successfully qualify for a degree apprenticeship is to over lap from a higher level training programme where you will have achieve a foundation degree.
Where can I find a degree apprenticeship?
You can find degree apprenticeships offered either directly by employers on our website or by visiting university websites that offer apprenticeship training qualifications. As the degree apprenticeship is relatively new not all universities support this type of learning, but there are plenty that do from uni’s such as the Open University, Anglia Ruskin and University of the West of England to name a few, there are approximately 87 university across the UK currently offering degree apprenticeships.
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Simply register as an apprentice, apply fo an apprenticeship, start enjoying the benefits apprenticeships have to offer.
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What subjects can I do a Degree Apprenticeship in?
Although degree apprenticeships were only introduced in 2015 there are plenty of options to start a Level 6 apprenticeship training programme.
Currently 87 universities in the UK support apprentice employers by offering apprenticeship courses, here just a few of the subject areas you can study to attain a degree level qualification:
• Aerospace Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Construction
• Engineering - Professional
• Digital and Technology
• Nursing
• Project Management
• Surveying
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a form of further education which offers on the job training for you to gain a nationally recognised qualification whilst studying part-time with an apprenticeship training provider, college or university through workshops or classroom training.
Apprenticeship training has to be delivered by a registered apprenticeship training provider which can also be an employer-provider, where the employer you are training through are on the register of training providers to be able to deliver their own training requirements. If an employer acts as an employer-provider they will usually employ a number of people such as Apprenticeship Assessors, Mentors and Managers to support you through your apprenticeship programme.
During your apprenticeship you will receive a salary and all the other benefits permanent employees receive. An apprenticeship job is only for a specified time as stipulated at the beginning of your apprenticeship training which can last anything from 12 months to 5 years.
To find our more about apprenticeships please refer to our What is an Apprenticeship? guide.
Why should you start an apprenticeship?
If you are considering your post 16 options you probably wouldn't have considered an apprenticeship a few years ago and would be struggling or worrying what to do when you leave school. It is a legal requirement for you to now stay in some form of further education until the age of 18 and you now have three options A-Levels, College or an Apprenticeship.
You can start an apprenticeship at the age of 16 through the Intermediate or Advanced level apprenticeship programmes across many industry sectors from Construction, Technology or even Marketing. There are no entry requirements for the intermediate apprenticeship, however you will need at least 5 GCSE's at grade 4 (previously C grade) or above to qualify for the advanced apprenticeship. On completion of the intermediate you will gain the qualifying criteria for a level 3.
The best reason for starting an apprenticeship is on completion of each level you will receive a nationally recognised qualification from an NVQ all the way up to a degree level apprenticeship such as a Bachelors or Masters.
How can you become an apprentice?
There are a number of ways to become an apprentice so we thought we would list them for you:
- Register with websites like ourselves, there are others available.
- Apprenticeship Job Fairs are great for meeting employers and training providers.
- Contact training providers in your area, a simple Google search "Training providers near me" will give you the information you need.
- Contact your local colleges or universities or visit their websites to see if they offer apprenticeship training.
- UCAS promote apprenticeship opportunities on their website on behalf of employers.
and finally......
- Do some research on apprenticeships and find a topic or industry that you would like to start an apprenticeship in and then research local companies in those sectors and visit their websites to see if they offer apprenticeship training and apply directly with them.
How long do Degree Apprenticeships take to complete?
A degree apprenticeship can take anywhere between three to six years to complete depending on the apprenticeship programme, the level you are studying and industry you are studying in.
Can I do a Degree Apprenticeship even though I already have degree?
The simple answer is yes as long as the degree apprenticeship on offer is not the same as the degree qualification you already have. You may already have a Bachelors degree and want to studying towards a Masters degree which you can also do a Level 7 apprenticeship.
FAQs Degree Apprenticeships
Can I do more than one degree apprenticeship?
You can study for as many degrees as you like, as long as they are not the same subject or qualification. You wouldn't be able to do two degree apprenticeships at the same time as you wouldn't have the time to carry out both on the job training.
How do I start a degree apprenticeship?
To start a degree apprenticeship you would first need to register to become an apprentice with either a website like ourselves or a university, you can also apply directly on apprentice employers websites.
What industries offer degree apprenticeships?
Degree apprenticeships are widely available across a number of different industries such as Aerospace, Banking, Construction, Law and Technology to name a few.
How much do degree apprentices earn?
Degree apprentices are likely to be paid more then other levels, you may have started at intermediate level with an employer and received pay rises each time you move up an apprenticeship level with the same employer. On average degree apprentices are paid between £20,000 - £30,000 per year.
When can I start a degree apprenticeship?
You can start a degree apprenticeship at any age as long as you have achieve the required qualifying requirements this can be achieved through an advanced apprenticeship, a-levels or college.