Degree apprenticeships are considered the gold standard in vocational training.

They're a hybrid between traditional university degrees and vocational courses – combining 80% on-the-job training with 20% academic learning. Courses normally take around 4-5 years to complete, when apprentices receive a full Bachelor's or Master's degree.

Degree apprenticeships bring huge benefits to HEIs, so it's important your faculty staff know how they work and how they're delivered:

Attracting students 

Prospective students undertake degree apprenticeships as they want to combine a great level of education with excellent employment opportunities – so market your course as exactly that. It's a good idea to develop a publicity and outreach programme with local employers to help generate interest and determine take up.

Viability

As with all new programme proposals, calculating the number of students needed to make your programme viable is crucial. With degree apprenticeships, finding this magic number is even more important as the courses are formed around a number of employers and organisations. This process is different from standard degrees, so your academic and finance departments will have to work closely with employers to make sure your apprenticeship programmes are viable.

Spot the difference

Degree apprenticeships are very different to traditional degrees. They're formed around the 80/20 principle, both on campus and in the workplace. Apprentices complete more practical learning than academic students and progress is monitored using reviews, recorded evidence and assessment tracking. They then complete an end-point assessment to determine their grade, and receive a Bachelor's or Master's degree.  

Spot the differences between degree apprenticeships and traditional degrees here.

Schedule of teaching and learning  

The 80/20 split between on- and off-the-job training needs to be agreed by your faculty and the employer. Depending on your agreed contract, apprentices may be on campus for one day a week, in weekly blocks, or they can integrate with mainstream taught programmes on an adhoc basis. The methods of grading and external assessment must also be agreed upon with the employer.

Benefits for faculties 

Degree apprenticeships give faculties the opportunity to expand their educational offering and access new income streams. You'll also work closely with employers throughout the programme – helping to build business connections and increase recruitment rates.  

Degree apprenticeships may be the gold standard, but they're actually really simple to deliver and manage – especially if you use an all-in-one learning software. With OneFile, apprentices, tutors and faculty leads can access all the training tools they need, anytime, anywhere, on any device – making the whole process easy to manage.  

To find out more about degree apprenticeships, and how OneFile can support your apprenticeship delivery, download our ultimate guide for HEIs.