Apprenticeships – Your Questions Answered

How do apprenticeships fit into a University environment?

They enable staff to reskill and move in a different direction career wise. Staff may want to obtain a qualification or degree, or they may already have a degree in a different subject not relevant to their job.

What is the Apprenticeship Levy?

It’s a tax that the University has to pay as a large employer, but we can draw back some of that money to fund training. So, it’s essentially a training budget to benefit our staff and it’s a great opportunity to access really high quality development.

What are the benefits of apprenticeships?

To existing staff, they provide a really supportive, intensive training opportunity which will help translate any previous experience and new learning directly into your role, helping you to progress.

They also provide the opportunity to bring new staff into the organisation, creating development roles where individuals can grow in the organisation and feel supported.

What qualifications can you get out of an apprenticeship?

It depends on the programme, some will provide an Apprenticeship Certificate and some provide a Bachelors or Master’s degree, and there are other professional recognitions and qualifications.

Why should I undertake an apprenticeship?

If you’re looking to make the next step, career wise it’s worth getting in touch. The right apprenticeship for the right person is hugely powerful for your career. Consider it when you’re talking to your manager about development opportunities in appraisals.

For managers of apprentices, what commitments are required?

The programmes require apprentices to have 20% off the job training. It’s certainly a big commitment for many managers to make but off the job training can also include appraisals, 1 to 1s that discuss development, learning, CPD activities that relate to the apprenticeship and shadowing etc…

How do individuals interested in pursuing an apprenticeship get started?

The first point of contact is the Organisational Development team. We’ll have a discussion with the member of staff and/or their manager, to find out what areas of development they need. Then we’ll find a suitable programme and provider, and staff can be involved in this process to make sure we can tailor as far as possible to their needs.

What programmes are available?

There are new apprenticeship programmes being developed all the time. For those interested, look on the website and if you don’t find something that fits, get in touch with us and we can find you a suitable programme. There’s lots of different subjects, levels and types.

What are the options for Academic staff?

The Academic Professional Apprenticeship is now available for staff and interested academic staff can get in touch with us or with the LALT team. The next intake will be in early 2020. There are more apprenticeship options for academics on the horizon, so watch this space!

What does the academic professional apprenticeship involve?

It’s aimed at staff who are new to teaching and learning at the University. It may be that you have a lot of professional practice and/or you may not be that familiar with teaching, and it’s a chance to have a well supported 18 month program to develop your teaching and learning skills, your knowledge around student engagement and get some mentoring support too. We’re really proud of the programme, the LALT team do an amazing job and deliver a really fantastic opportunity  

How many apprentices do we currently have?

We have over 50 apprentices, it’s growing quickly but we have budget for more. We are looking to expand on new programmes and support the professional and career development of staff and  in line with our work on career pathways.