Mark Smith
Executive Director of Business Engagement, Aston University
What are the benefits of degree apprenticeships for prospective students?
Students have the opportunity to develop their learning with their employer’s direct influence, gaining academic and theoretical knowledge around their chosen degree subject. Practical implementation of learning is a fantastic advantage for developing understanding.
What’s more, with degree apprenticeships, students start that relationship with an employer early. The whole match-making process is done up-front, so employment is taken care of – which is an additional consideration for most student pathways.
1/3 of degree and higher apprentices are over 30 years old.
Young people are concerned about student debt, but with degree apprenticeships the employer pays those fees, meaning they will graduate debt-free as well as being paid while they work and study.
What are the benefits to businesses in the short-, medium- and long-term?
In the short-term, degree apprenticeships are an excellent recruitment tool. Businesses can offer a degree apprenticeship as part of an incentive package for a very specific role and differentiate themselves in the marketplace.
In the medium- and long-term, the possibilities to up-skill your existing workforce are vast. Most people don’t realise that one third of degree and higher apprentices are over 30 years old, so the opportunity to upskill is very real.
Following this process through, the long-term benefits are a highly skilled, specialised and committed workforce.
How can a degree apprenticeship benefit someone already in work?
Even if you already understand the business you are in, and if you have had success in your employment, it’s sometimes difficult to explore new ideas and find new influences. Degree apprenticeships can help you look at new perspectives, new ideas and industry examples.
The idea of cross-fertilisation, and broadening a person’s experience, is what upskilling through a degree apprenticeship is all about. It allows people to experience areas of the company they probably wouldn’t otherwise experience had they stayed in one role.
Click here to learn more about degree apprenticeships with Aston University.
February 2019