Degree/ Higher Apprenticeships

[Miltonkeynes1]

Hi All, I just wondered what people's views are on degree apprenticeships?
DC has had some information about them at school. They sound like a great idea, but I just wondered whether they will be on a par/ as respected as going through the traditional University route to get a degree?
I'm a bit of a novice about this higher education stuff!

[mitasol]

I believe they can be set up in different ways. I always thought they sounded like a great idea in terms of funding and work experience. The only negative I’ve heard is that some people have struggled to manage both study and work simultaneously. UCAS has a brief here. https://www.ucas.com/alternatives/appre ... nticeships" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 090418.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mad?]

They sound like a great idea, but I just wondered whether they will be on a par/ as respected as going through the traditional University route to get a degree?

They are on a par with traditional routes, as long as the subject studied still has academic rigour. Graduates can then go on to apply to graduate schemes as if they had studied the traditional way, or can carry on as they are, often well ahead of the graduate intake to which they would have been assigned had they followed a traditional path, with no debt and a bag full of relevant work experience. They are become increasingly popular. A couple of caveats, as Mitasol said, work load can be an issue, particularly when they have a much smaller peer group for advice and support and are remote from their university. Depending on how the apprenticeship is structured I think it is easier to feel a bit isolated unless a DC is quite proactive about networking/finding a peer group and building relationships with the Uni. Secondly of course they (tend to) miss out on the Uni experience, not just the fun but the developmental opportunities, independence etc.

[mitasol]

Just to add - the best apprenticeship offers are likely to be considerably more competitive than simple uni place offer.

[kenyancowgirl]

Agreed about the competitive nature - if it's easy to get it is probably not the "best" apprenticeship. People like Deloitte, JLR run exceptional apprenticeships but they are uber competitive to get into and the application process is long. The biggest problem with apprenticeships is that actually, although they are widely touted by the govt as an alternative to HE (and practically "free" versus £10k per year) they don't really exist in great numbers. If you are considering the apprenticeship route then it is probably worth having a back up idea - even if that is university!

[hermanmunster]

It sounds like going back to what my father did - some "night school" while at work (then a significant hiatus from 1941-46 where he was occupied elsewhere, but this was still counted as years worked by his employer) then more courses ONC / HNC / HND etc etc - eventually when his college became Aston University in 1966 he was able to proudly exchange all this for a BSc.

However - I think the bit he always missed was the rest of University life - definitely not the same

[Tinkers]

If you can get a degree apprenticeship at a very reputable company (especially ones that have a decent record for training staff, eg graduate training schemes), in the subject you want to study, then I’d be tempted to say go for it.

You are getting paid to work plus getting your degree paid for you, your employer is investing quite heavily in you (although they do get some money back to cover costs, but I don’t know how much).

If they have a graduate scheme, then unless you really mess up, you have a foot in the door, with the added advantage that you have experience to boot and you’ve been getting paid.

What I would avoid are companies with no decent track record in training or investing in their staff. If it looks like they are trying to get cheap labour then they quite possibly are.

However you do then miss out on the whole uni experience. For some that might be a good thing, for others a bad thing.

[Blitz]

For engineering, Dyson offer an excellent degree apprenticeship - 18K and a Warwick university degree, and accommodation pods!

https://www.dysoninstitute.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My DS is interested in actuarial science apprenticeships. Can anyone recommend any good ones?

[saram]

My elder DS is currently doing a degree apprenticeship with JLR. It’s perfect for him but does involve some hard work and there is no doubt that he is missing out on uni life. The course is six years long (BEng in applied engineering from Warwick) and he has to stay for another three years or pay back all the tuition fees. However, he is very well paid and very well looked after by the company.

When he applied (two onscreen tests and an interview day) we were told there were 6500 applicants for ~200 places so I think there’s a huge amount of luck involved. He also applied to, and held places for, uni.

There’s nothing to lose applying for the good apprenticeships, but don’t rely on that route!

[KB]

They are generally more appropriate for those who are very set on their career path as the degree at the end is usually less transferable.
For many schemes the study will be at a lower rated University by academic standards.
Many also do not guarantee a place right through to Honours level.

You should also check which route the apprenticeship takes you down. For some companies they funnel you into the areas that are less attractive to graduate level entrants.


As above, its a very different experience to full time University, including very limited vacation time!

Not to discount them at all - rather some considerations.