Future Investment in Degree Apprenticeships
The Government have announced they are funding a multi-million pound investment in degree apprenticeships.
Degree apprenticeships allow students to receive a full Bachelor’s or Master’s degree while still working. Universities including Queen Mary’s University London and Sheffield University have partnered with employers such as TFL, Nestlé and BAE systems.
£8 million will be used to support universities to develop and deliver new degree apprenticeships while an additional £2 million will be used to encourage more people to choose degree programmes. This investment will run for the next 2 years and the process for universities applying for the funds will be announced in April 2016.
National Apprenticeship Week’s research found that although degree apprenticeships are new, the numbers are growing and there are an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 starts across 40 universities in 2016.
Degree apprenticeships have been designed by employers, universities and professional bodies and are focusing on providing an alternative to traditional degrees. Government bodies are working to boost the reputation of on-the-job training by changing perceptions and raising standards, creating more places and protecting the term apprenticeship in the same way as degree.
The Government released figures last week which have stated there is an increase in the number of people starting higher apprenticeships. The figures have shown us that between August 2015 and January 2016 more than 30,000 people were on higher apprenticeships.
source: r15.co.uk
