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A new multi-million pound fund to increase the number of degree apprenticeships available to young people has been launched today (24 March 2016) by the Business Secretary Sajid Javid on a visit to Manchester Metropolitan University.

First launched in September last year, degree apprenticeships allow for the study for a full Bachelor鈥檚 or Master鈥檚 Degree while working. Universities and employers are getting on board with institutions including Sheffield Hallam University and Queen Mary鈥檚 University London working in partnership with top employers such as TFL, Nestl茅 and BAE Systems.

The new funding will help even more people get a degree while earning in one of the country鈥檚 top businesses. 拢8 million will be focused on supporting universities to design and deliver new degree apprenticeships while a further 拢2 million will be devoted to encouraging more learners to choose degree apprenticeships. The fund will run for the next 2 years and the process for universities bidding for the funds will be announced in April 2016.

Research from Universities UK published last week as part of National Apprenticeship Week found that although degree apprenticeships are relatively new, numbers are growing, with an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 starts for 2016 across 40 universities.

Business Secretary Sajid Javid said:

We launched degree apprenticeships to unlock life changing opportunities for young people and give businesses the skills they need.

This multi-million pound fund will go further in helping universities and employers design new top quality degree apprenticeships and open doors to our young people.

Designed by employers, universities and professional bodies, degree apprenticeships deliver the high level skills businesses need and offer young people an alternative to a traditional degree. Ministers are working to strengthen the reputation of on-the-job training by raising standards, creating thousands more places and protecting the term apprenticeship in the same way as degrees.

More than 60 people are already studying at Manchester Metropolitan University as part of their Digital and Technology Solutions Professional degree apprenticeship. The course sees students working in employers such as Barclays, Lloyds and Astra Zeneca and with local employers Reality Mine, and Mc2.

Manchester Metropolitan University is planning to deliver a chartered manager degree apprenticeship from September 2016 with major national employers.

Provisional figures released yesterday (23 March 2016) show a dramatic increase in the number of people starting higher apprenticeships. The official figures show that there were more than 30,000 people on higher apprenticeships between August 2015 to January 2016. The figures also show that there are more young people staring apprenticeships, with over 84,000 starts by under 19-year-olds between August 2015 to January 2016.

Notes to editors

1. First launched in September last year (2015), they bring together university study with paid work at a top employer.
2. See the new apprenticeships available at all levels.
3. The English Apprenticeships 2020 vision document was published 7 December 2016 and outlines the government鈥檚 plan to increase the quality and quantity of apprenticeships to reach the commitment of 3 million apprenticeships by 2020.
4. Degree apprenticeships are available in England. 鈥�

Case Studies

Haleema Baker-Mir

• Haleema is 18 years old
• Haleema is 1 of 2 of Nestl茅鈥檚 first 13 Chartered Manager Degree Apprentices, part of the leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness company鈥檚 FastStart programme
• she works from Nestl茅鈥檚 UK head office in Gatwick
• she took her first step towards her Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship in September 2015

I鈥檓 18 years old, so am delighted that Nestl茅 has offered me the opportunity to study for Chartered Managers Degree Apprenticeship. At school I always preferred to learn by doing, and so I felt an apprenticeship was the right course for me. At sixth form my school was very keen on sending me to university, but I just felt it wasn鈥檛 the right course for me. My family was very supportive of my choice, and very proud.

Everything I do learn at university is directly applied to my job, for example I鈥檓 studying sales and marketing now, and when I move into a sales and marketing role as part of my rotation at Nestl茅 I鈥檒l be able to apply that to my job. I find it incredible that at the age of 21, compared to my friends who did go to uni, I鈥檒l have not only a degree but also a professional status. I鈥檒l already be in a role with a job under my belt and I鈥檒l have the work experience they won鈥檛 have. I feel I鈥檒l be in a better position.

Harry King

• Harry is 19 years old
• Harry is 1 of 2 of Nestl茅鈥檚 first 13 Chartered Manager Degree Apprentices, part of the leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness company鈥檚 FastStart programme
• he works from Nestl茅鈥檚 UK head office in Gatwick
• he took his first step towards her Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship in September 2015
• Harry works in Nestl茅 Professional on pack change and events management, overseeing artwork across Nestl茅鈥檚 product ranges

What鈥檚 fantastic about the apprenticeship is the practical aspect. The difference from my A-levels is massive. School was 9 to 5 lectures and lessons, whereas here it is managing workloads, and using those to reinforce your lessons. You don鈥檛 find many 19 year olds given that trust. It鈥檚 with a big sense of pride that you realise you鈥檙e being given that level of responsibility.

My family couldn鈥檛 quite believe I was being offered the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship because of how great the course is. Having a professional status will mean a great deal. To be recognised as a professional manager will really kick start my career - it鈥檚 the sort of boost I鈥檇 otherwise need 10 years of on-the-job experience to achieve. And the benefits for Nestl茅 are really clear too - it鈥檚 about growing talent within the team, finding the company鈥檚 future leaders.

Chris Hallett

• Chris is 29 years old
• Chris is one of the first Chartered Manager Degree Apprentices at Barclays Bank, joining the scheme after 8 years with the world leading retail and investment bank
• he is married with a 7-year-old son
• he currently works at his local branch in Gateshead as a Community banker

I didn鈥檛 do well at college I wasn鈥檛 ready for education, I just wasn鈥檛 focused. I鈥檝e never struggled at applying myself in a work environment, and have always been in full time employment, but academic situations never suited me. Moving to Barclays 8 years ago, the first role I took was in sales, and I did well at that, especially on the customer service side. Now I鈥檓 keen not to narrow my experience, and gaining experience across the various branch functions is very important.

There鈥檚 a large work-load, but now I feel ready to put my focus into the academic side, but there鈥檚 a relief that it ties in with work. That鈥檚 because now I understand why it is needed and important. At college I didn鈥檛 have a clear picture of what I wanted to do, now I can apply it to real-life work. I find it easier to understand when the theory relates to the practical side. I鈥檝e set my sights on achieving a first, and I鈥檓 100% certain I鈥檓 going to see the course through.

Most of the other higher apprentices are younger than me, so I benefit from passing on my experience, but ultimately we鈥檙e all keen to learn. Looking ahead 5 years I鈥檓 keen to get into a line management position, I鈥檇 like to take the lead in a transformation role within Barclays. I鈥檓 already seeing how my lessons can be applied, and while I鈥檓 not in a leadership role yet, I can see how different team structures work in different scenarios.

I can鈥檛 quite believe that in 3 years I鈥檒l not only have a degree but also be a professional Chartered Manager. If I were to go back to tell my 16-year-old self about this course, then I鈥檇 tell them to pursue what they enjoyed. Don鈥檛 focus just on the hours or the money, it鈥檚 about where the job can take you. I can see how this sort of programme can be enormously beneficial in understanding how to manage people effectively, not just excelling at your technical skills, but leading teams to success.