Menu not found

Benefits to degree apprenticeships

Higher and degree apprenticeships allow young people and adults to earn while they learn and progress into highly skilled occupations.

After finishing, 77% of apprentices stay with the same employer, 46% received a pay rise, and 36% reported getting a promotion.*

If you choose to do a higher or degree apprenticeship you’ll benefit from

  • Increased lifetime earning potential of around £150,000 (Source: University Education)
  • No debt via student loans as degree apprenticeships are funded by employers and the Government
  • A clear pathway to achieving your ambitions in the workplace – Statistics from the National Apprenticeships Service show that 23% of apprentices surveyed were promoted within 12 months of finishing their apprenticeship.
  • A salary and guaranteed job while you study
  • The potential to achieve graduate and postgraduate-level qualifications
  • Employers are expected to offer you the chance to stay and progress in your job on the completion of the apprenticeship
  • New opportunities for career progression if you are already in work
  • The chance to gain professional accreditation and membership

 

* Statistics from GOV.UK

Further information and how to apply


If you are interested in applying to study through one of our degree apprenticeships then check the contact details below.

Course development checklist

For our University, and many other Higher Education institutions across the country,  we are going to need to work hard to develop and provide suitable courses for these new students.

The most attractive courses will be those that can allow the student to obtain their degree without having to leave their workplace to attend lectures or study days, which would greatly benefit their employer. For this reason, the TEL team have been reading various literature to help piece together the best practices for creating distance learning courses that are taught entirely online.

The University of York provides a useful checklist as to how best to create and develop online distance courses and the key issues to consider. The main points of the checklist are as follows:

Courses on offer

We launched our first degree apprenticeship in 2016.

From September 2017, we’re offering six degree apprenticeship programmes including one Master’s degree apprenticeship:

  • Business Leadership and Management degree apprenticeship
  • Embedded Electronic Systems Design and Development Engineer degree apprenticeship (top-up)
  • Chartered Surveyor degree apprenticeship
  • Digital and Technology Solutions Professional degree apprenticeship (top-up) (subject to approval)
  • MBA (Strategic Leadership) degree apprenticeship (subject to approval)
  • Sales Leadership degree apprenticeship (subject to approval)

At the University of Portsmouth, we have strong relationships with business and industry through research programmes, innovation and knowledge transfer partnerships, undergraduate job placements, and graduate employment schemes. This means we can develop Bachelor’s and Master’s degree apprenticeships that meet the needs of businesses and their workforce.

What are degree apprenticeships?

A degree apprenticeship is a job where the employee receives a degree during the course of their work. Apprentices work a minimum of 30 hours a week for their employer. Learning fits around that work commitment and requires flexible learning modes like day or block release, distance or blended learning.

The Government is currently developing the Digital Apprenticeship Service, which will be a digital portal allowing employers, training providers and aspiring apprentices to manage their apprenticeships.

 

Below, HEFCE’s Head of Skills, Nicola Turner, explains some of the opportunities for both apprentices and employers offered by degree apprenticeships.

 

 

 

How will degree apprenticeships be funded?

All UK employers that have a total employee pay bill above £3 Million a year will pay the levy, which has been set at a rate of 0.5% of the employers pay bill.

Employer’s eligible include the public and private sector, charities and education providers. Eligible employers will receive a £15,000 fixed annual allowance to offset against the levy payment, so for example, an Employer with a £3 Million pay bill would have a levy bill of £15,000.

Therefore the allowance is offset against this so their levy payment would be £0.00. Employers will have the freedom to spend their money on apprenticeship training to meet their needs as they see fit, however funds will expire after 24 months so there is an incentive for employers to use their levy fund.