PROFILE

Four years into delivering degree and masters-level apprenticeships and the results are in!

York St John University has seen 100% pass rate for the first two cohorts of apprentices completing the Executive MBA and the results of the third cohort are expected shortly. Apprentices will join the University’s graduation ceremonies at York Minster in November 2021 and February 2022 to receive their Masters’ degrees. Dr Brendan Paddison, Associate Dean of York Business School, commented “I am delighted that we continue to see this level of achievement and success. It is testament to the hard work of both the students and teaching team. The End Point Assessment is a significant milestone in the completion of their studies and recognition of 18 months of both academic and work-based study where learners have gained a critical understanding of management knowledge, on which effective leadership and problemsolving skills have been developed.” “The opportunity was too good to not take advantage of,” says Harry Joyce, a graduate of our 2019 Executive MBA cohort. “I’ve enjoyed meeting people I wouldn’t have met through a professional capacity and hearing different views and opinions from people in different industries has been immensely rewarding.” Re-launched this year without the MBA award as the Senior Leaders’ Apprenticeship, York St John University took the decision to continue to offer the Executive MBA as a free top-up to those completing the level 7 SLA apprenticeship at YSJ. This continues to prove a highly attractive course to employers, with intakes twice a year at both the York and London campus. The suite of management and leadership apprenticeships at YSJ is aimed at developing key staff in organisations to improve performance, motivate and drive change and deliver strategic growth

Mastering apprenticeships

PROFILE

33

The Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship at level 6 supports the progression and development of existing and aspiring managers and can be used for recruiting new talent into trainee management schemes; with a fast-track option for those ‘accidental managers’ who have moved up through the business, sometimes over several years and without any formal management qualifications, which recognises prior learning developed in the workplace. “I feel more confident studying for a degree now than I would have done years ago,” says Tracey Davis who is soon to complete her Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship. “As I develop my academic understanding, I also develop a further understanding of my role and organisation. I have already experienced the positive effects of studying this degree and can now see the doors that may be opened for me in the future.” Introduced in October this year, the Project Manager Degree Apprenticeship compliments the York Business School’s suite of management and leadership apprenticeships by focusing on developing the specific skills required to be an effective leader of change, able to manage individuals and deliver projects in line with defined objectives. This dynamic programme covers three years (with a fasttrack option for those with prior learning) and includes all of the disciplines required by today’s Project Managers, including organisational strategy and decision making, stakeholder engagement and communication, risk management, financial and planning controls, leadership and governance to name but a few. The programme also includes the Association for Project Management Qualification (APMQ) and eligibility for full APM membership. Working closely with employers in the region – and now nationally through our campus in London – York St John University continues to develop and improve its apprenticeships to be dynamic and relevant to today’s business challenges. Designed to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours of existing staff to support their progression through the organisation, and to recruit new talent into the business, apprenticeships offer a really great opportunity for both employer and employee.