LJMU to expand degree apprenticeships

LJMU is set to expand its successful degree apprenticeship programmes after being awarded significant new funding.

The university has received £1m from the Office for Students’ national fund to support level 6 degree apprenticeships.

LJMU has been delivering degree apprenticeships since 2016 and currently has more than 1,200 students working across a range of sectors, including policing, healthcare, civil engineering, chartered surveying and business management. They enable apprentices to achieve a full degree while developing practical skills in the workplace.

The programmes recently earned glowing praise from Ofsted, which rated them as good overall with a rating of outstanding for behaviour and attitudes.

Meeting local skills needs

The successful bid will support LJMU to work with new and existing partners and stakeholders to develop five new standards to meet the local skills need (Youth Worker, Transport Planner, Serious and Complex Crime Investigator, Digital and Technology Solutions Professional and Creative Digital Design Professional).

The university will also deliver a comprehensive programme of activities relating to employer engagement and outreach work to increase applications from ethnic minority backgrounds and those from areas with low participation in higher education, specifically for Police Constable DA, Registered Nurse DA, Construction Site Management, Construction Quantity Surveyor and Chartered Manager.

Professor Alison Cotgrave, LJMU’s Academic Registrar, said: “We are delighted to have been successful with this bid to enhance our degree apprenticeship provision.

“Our programmes are extremely popular with learners and employers alike as they offer the opportunity for apprentices to work towards their degree at the same time as developing practical skills in the workplace.

“We were exceptionally pleased to have the quality of our programmes recognised with such a positive Ofsted report at the end of last year. We want to develop our provision further and have plans to significantly increase the number of apprentices studying with us by 2030. This new funding will help us to deliver that.”

A key element of LJMU’s Place and Partnership Strategy

Professor Joe Yates, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Place and Partnerships, said: “Degree apprenticeships are an important way in which we meet the skills requirements of the Liverpool City Region. This funding will enable us to build on our impressive track record in providing opportunities for people from a wide range of communities to develop the skills they need to thrive in their careers.

“Our degree apprenticeship programmes perfectly embody our commitment to the city region: we are an active, engaged partner, proactive in meeting the needs of our communities and a driver of growth and social value by helping people to develop the skills, knowledge and experience needed by employers.”

Find out more about the range of degree apprenticeship programmes offered at LJMU.