The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has announced this week that a new government multi-million pound fund will allow universities and colleges across England to develop new degree apprenticeships for students starting in September 2017.

What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is an earn-as-you-learn option for anyone aged 16 and over, who is not in full-time education and is eligible to work in the UK. Higher or degree apprenticeships usually follow sucessful completion of A Levels and are designed for students aged 18 or over. Apprenticeships are becoming increasingly popular and respected in England as an alternative route to employment for young people.Designed by employers, universities and professional bodies, degree apprenticeships deliver high-tech and high level skills and offer an alternative to a traditional degree course. Bringing together university study with paid work, degree apprentices spend part of their time at university and part with their employer.

Funding boost for degree apprenticeships

The new £4.5 million fund will offer higher education establishments the chance to work in partnership with leading employers, creating 5,200 new degree level apprenticeship places. The announcement comes ahead of the new Apprenticeship Levy, which will be introduced in April 2017. The levy will be introduced at a rate of 0.5 per cent of an employer's annual pay bill, collected monthly via PAYE. The levy applies to all UK employers but only those with a pay bill of over £3m will pay it. Employers will have an annual fixed allowance of £15,000, which they can offset against their levy payment. “This multi-million pound fund will allow universities and colleges to work with top employers to design high quality degree apprenticeships that give people a ladder of opportunity, more choice and help shape Britain to become an apprentice nation,” said minister Robert Halfon Skills and Apprenticeships."The development of degree apprenticeships will provide more people with the chance to study in higher education and work at the same time, and in doing so to fulfil their educational and career ambitions,” said Madeleine Atkins, HEFCE Chief Executive.“Employers will be able to use their apprenticeship levy funds to access degree apprenticeships from a range of higher education providers, and the fund will support institutions in preparing for the increased demand that will follow the levy’s introduction from April 2017.”The government funding has been awarded by HEFCE to projects focused on boosting the number of degree apprenticeships available. Provisional figures released on 6 October show an increase in the numbers of people starting higher and degree apprenticeships, showing that there were more than 27,000 higher and degree apprenticeships started so far in 2015 to 2016 academic year.

Degree Apprenticeship Funded Institutions

Funded Institutions	Degree Apprenticeships with a range of subjects including:
Birmingham City University	Surveying and construction, engineering, chartered management, digital and technology, accounting and business, insurance and risk, financial fraud investigation, radiography/radiotherapy, marketing, and human resource management
Buckinghamshire New University, with Aylesbury College	Early years, learning and teaching, digital and technology, business, legal, accountancy and finance, banking and financial services, project management, and product design and development.
University of Cumbria, with University of Chester, Liverpool John Moores University, University of Wolverhampton, Buckinghamshire New University, University of Central Lancashire, Open University, Staffordshire University, Plymouth University, and London Metropolitan University	Police constables
University of Derby	Site management, digital and technology, cybersecurity, aerospace engineering, chartered management, and nursing
University of Gloucestershire	Cybersecurity, product design and development, internet of things and cyber engineering, and nursing
University of Greenwich, with Mid Kent College	Construction, engineering, digital and technology, biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences, nursing, paramedic science, community sport, logistics, and chartered surveying
Leeds Trinity University, with University of Leeds	Supply chain management, and chartered management with specialisms in healthcare, education, and SMEs
University of Lincoln, with Sheffield Hallam University	Food manufacturing, including technical professional, operations management, and food engineering
Liverpool John Moores University	Building services engineering, construction management, building surveying, real estate management, quantity surveying, engineering, automation and control, engineering, policing, digital and technology, and outside broadcasting
London South Bank University, with College of North East London, Lambeth College, Lewisham and Southwark Colleges, Barnet and Southgate College, and Barking and Dagenham College	Engineering, building services, site management, electrical and electronic, and chartered management
Northumbria University	Site management, construction quantity surveyor, building services, chartered management, and digital and technology including business analyst, data analyst, software engineering, and cybersecurity
Nottingham Trent University	Chartered management and electronic systems design and development
University of Salford	Construction, leadership and management, and control/technical support engineering
University of Sheffield, with Sheffield Hallam University	Maintenance engineering and construction manufacturing
Sheffield Hallam University, with Barnsley College, Sheffield College, Chesterfield College, Rotherham and North Notts Colleges, Dearne Valley College, Doncaster College, and Northern College	Chartered management, digital and technology, construction, quantity surveying, health science practitioner, facilities management, cybersecurity, software engineering, railway engineering, advanced manufacturing, ultrasound, paramedic practice, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy
University of Sunderland	Health care science, nursing, paramedic, cybersecurity, computing, and chartered management
University of the West of England, with Weston College, City of Bristol College, Gloucestershire College, and Bridgwater College	Embedded and wireless systems, quantity surveying, construction, building services engineering, real estate, leadership and management, digital and technology, aerospace and computerengineering, and aerospace
University of Wolverhampton, with Walsall College, City of Wolverhampton College, and Birmingham Metropolitan College	Solicitor, legal executive, aerospace, automotive design, development and manufacturing, digital and technology, chartered management, broadcast production, and nursing associate

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