Higher and Degree Apprenticeships with Staffordshire University

At Staffordshire University we are powering the future of higher and degree apprenticeships, the work-based route to higher education which offers on-the-job training alongside a qualification.

Higher and degree apprenticeships open doors to a range of career opportunities for apprentices and help employers to develop their workforce and shape the future of their business.

Staffordshire University was one of the first higher education institutions in England to offer apprenticeships and is now one of the largest, working with more than 200 employers from large organisations to specialist SMEs.

Maighread Hegarty, Associate Dean of Apprenticeships at Staffordshire University, said: “Our recent Ofsted inspection recognised how collaboration with employers enhanced the development and delivery of high-quality provision supporting our apprentices to become skilled professionals.”

The University currently has 2,619 learners employed across 148 employers, delivering 20 apprenticeship standards, 113 levy payers and 35 non-levy payers. Recruitment growth and apprenticeship completions have more than trebled over the last three years.

Staffordshire University is proud to confirm that in January 2022 it received a full Ofsted inspection which resulted in the University being awarded ‘GOOD’ (Grade 2) across the entire apprenticeship division.

Feedback from the Ofsted inspectors included: “Apprentices enjoy a culture of excellence in subjects such as level six healthcare science practitioner and the level six nursing degree apprenticeship. Teachers set high expectations for standards of written work and clinical practice. As a result, apprentices demonstrate high levels of professional behaviour in the workplace.”

The inspectors also said: “Apprentices achieve well. Almost all apprentices who stay on the course achieve their apprenticeship. More than half have achieved a distinction or merit.”

DID YOU KNOW...

Staffordshire University is one of the top five higher and degree apprenticeship providers in the UK.

Our strengths (as rated by employers) are:

98% 89% 86%

FOR IMPROVING APPRENTICE SKILLS

FOR PROVIDING THE RIGHT TRAINING AT THE RIGHT TIME

FOR TRAINING FACILITIES

WHO WE WORK WITH

POLICING

Staffordshire University delivers all recognised pathways into policing careers. Through our partnership with our four regional police forces, the University’s Institute of Policing delivers police constable degree apprenticeships to more than 1,900 student officers across the region.

Working as police officers from day one means our student officers experience the demands involved in keeping communities safe while working towards their fully funded degree in Professional Policing Practice.

We’re proud to work with the Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands police forces to widen access to policing careers, having developed a bespoke access course, Step Up to Policing, for those who would otherwise be unable to meet the level three academic entry requirements.

CAPULA

With a focus on operational technology and digital transformation Capula has been a leader in advanced system integration for decades, optimising efficiency and delivering performance on a massive scale.

Talking about their apprenticeship programme, a Capula spokesperson said: “At Capula we are committed to ‘growing our own’ by attracting, developing and retaining engineers of the future.

“We currently have 30 employees who are studying level three to level seven qualifications across our business, which is around 10% of our workforce.

“We partner with our providers which include Staffordshire University and combine structured study alongside further training and development opportunities to support professional development within the workplace.

“As a business we benefit from apprenticeships by not only having qualified engineers but also wellrounded employees who have demonstrated throughout their apprenticeship that they have the right knowledge, skills and behaviours to be effective and realise their potential.

“Apprentices bring a fresh perspective to our business and challenge our ideas,”

APPRENTICESHIP FAIR

In May 2022 the University hosted an Apprenticeship Fair to showcase and promote the regional apprenticeship offer and the progression opportunities from level two to level seven. A number of colleges and private training providers attended to promote their courses.

There were more than 200 attendees of various age groups and backgrounds who could engage and interact with different areas of study on the day.

MIKE JENNINGS

LEARNER

Mike Jennings recently completed his Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship.

He said: “The apprenticeship gives the added benefit of applying skills learnt within the workplace. I had the opportunity to take ownership of a project that would support the implementation and development of the wider roll out of the medical examiner service.

“As a result, in June 2022 I was successful in obtaining the position of senior medical examiner officer due to my ability to demonstrate my professional development and newly gained skills.”

Every year Staffordshire University nominates a charity that it supports through events and money-raising initiatives.

The 2022/23 charity of the year is Alice Charity. Based in Newcastle Under Lyme, Alice Charity helps families in crisis. Kayla Poole, the HR director of Alice, graduates this summer having completed her Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship. The charity’s founder, Steph Talbot, completed her level seven Senior Leader apprenticeship in 2020.

Get in touch today

www.staffs.ac.uk/apprenticeships employers@staffs.ac.uk 0800 169 2148