It’s National Apprenticeship Week! Why higher and degree apprenticeships are becoming more important to businesses

Employers and their staff now have a route to higher level qualifications including degrees and masters degrees, through apprenticeships. These routes are increasingly popular, because they offer the organisation a very cost-effective way to upskill and develop their people, and the individual staff member gets to study for a recognised award, such as a degree, while working in a relevant job role, with no tuition fees to pay.

Below are some key points as to why an apprenticeship would be effective for your business:

Develop new capabilities in your business, by upskilling your current work force and drive loyalty among existing staff

Staff members who are offered the opportunity to study a degree apprenticeship often have a strong sense of loyalty to the company. This can contribute to higher employee retention rates, as apprentices are more likely to stay with a company which has supported their professional development.

According to Gov.uk 69% of employers say that employing apprentices improved staff retention

Goverment funded tuition fees

Degree apprenticeship learning fees are funded through the apprenticeship levy. Employers that pay into the levy are able to use it to fund all of their apprentices’ learning fees, and smaller, non-levy paying organisations are able to fund up to 95% of the fees. By committing to apprenticeship training, businesses can reclaim and potentially exceed the amount they contributed to the levy.

For further information on the levy, click here

Save on recruitment:

Hiring and training new employees can be expensive for your business, however apprenticeships provide a highly cost-effective way to recruit and develop your talent through government-funded tuition fees. As part of their study, apprentices work on projects that are based on their real job so your business benefits from the contributions they make from day one, while supporting their education. 65% of apprentices stay working for the business that trained them upon completing their course.

Address Skill Gaps and improve productivity

Many industries face skills shortages, and degree apprenticeships provide a means for your business to address these gaps. By actively participating in the development of apprenticeship programs, your business can ensure that the skills being taught are directly relevant to your industry.

86% of employers said that apprentices helped to develop relevant skills for the organisation and 78% of employers said that they improved productivity within the workplace. Source

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Find out our local employers experiences from higher and degree apprenticeships below:

Caroline Bragg, Employability and Skills Strategy Manager at East Sussex County Council

“Degree Apprenticeships are very important to the community and the economy of East Sussex, bringing new entrants into many and varied organisations, as well as upskilling the workforces of the future”.

Paul Jennings, Social Value Manager at Morgan Sindall Construction

“When I joined in 2016, the company had just three apprentices, with the majority of our younger recruits starting via a graduate scheme. We now have over 30 apprentices of all ages across many disciplines throughout the company – it’s the key recruitment route for us.”

Matthew Norris, Managing Director, for Croudace Homes Ltd South Thames

“There is currently a large shortfall of skilled labour and it needs to be addressed in order to have an industry in the future.” When explaining why apprenticeships are beneficial for not only the company, but the future of the industry, he said “A good proportion of our apprentices go right up to degree level. We often bring people through trade apprenticeships, then like Liam, they move into a management apprenticeship, and progress to running sites for us.”

Discover how Liam Major’s degree apprenticeship in Construction Site Managing, applies to his role at Croudace Homes Ltd below

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Higher and degree progression routes

There are many different progression routes and occupational mapping through the higher and degree apprenticeship levels. For example, a Business Administrator (L3) could lead on to our Senior Leader Apprenticeship (L7) or a Teaching Assistant (L3) may start you on a path to our Teacher Apprenticeship (L6). See below for a visual guide on our progression routes.

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