The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) announced in November that it has allocated £4.5 million of funding to a selection of universities and colleges to develop new Degree Apprenticeships for students starting in September 2017. In addition, the Engineering Professors’ Council (EPC) and the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) have each published guidance materials about Degree Apprenticeships.

HEFCE states that Degree Apprenticeships, which are designed by employers, universities and professional bodies, deliver high-tech and high level skills and offer an alternative to a traditional degree course. They bring together university study with paid work.

Eighteen successful projects have been awarded funding from HEFCE in the first round of a two-year programme. Almost 70 bids were submitted for the fund. Working in partnership with leading employers, the universities and colleges will offer 5,200 new opportunities for apprentices and their employers in preparation for the introduction of the Apprenticeship levy in April 2017. 

Madeleine Atkins, HEFCE Chief Executive, said: “The development of Degree Apprenticeships will provide more people with the chance to study in higher education and work at the same time, and in doing so to fulfil their educational and career ambitions. Employers will be able to use their Apprenticeship levy funds to access Degree Apprenticeships from a range of higher education providers, and the fund will support institutions in preparing for the increased demand that will follow the levy’s introduction from April 2017.”

More information and the full list of successful projects to receive funding is available here: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/

EPC, the representative body for engineering in higher education, has published a Degree Apprenticeship toolkit aimed at universities. The toolkit includes a checklist of things to consider if a university is proposing to launch a Degree Apprenticeship programme, including market research, advice on the length and structure of programmes, the form that teaching and learning should take, advice on funding and further information. The toolkit and further information can be viewed by following this link: Degree Apprenticeship toolkit

Separately, the NCUB has published a general briefing document about Degree Apprenticeships including a break down of useful information such as what they involve, how long they are and salaries. This can be viewed here: www.ncub.co.uk/reports/degree-apprenticeships-briefing