Member Article

Business Secretary Sajid Javid MP praises Manchester Met’s Degree Apprenticeships on visit to launch £10 million fund

The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has praised the trailblazing Degree Apprenticeship programmes at Manchester Met after launching a new nationwide £10 million Degree Apprenticeship fund.

Sajid Javid MP was welcomed to the University’s Business School today (March 24) to find out about the impact the flagship scheme is having.

The new fund is to increase the number of Degree Apprenticeships available to young people and was launched by the Business Secretary who met current Degree Apprenticeship employers and apprentices.

Degree Apprenticeships involve employers partnering with universities to offer an earn-while-you-learn blend of work and study.

The Business Secretary was welcomed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Malcolm Press who outlined Manchester Met’s ambitions for the future of Degree Apprenticeships at the University.

Sajid Javid MP said: “Degree Apprenticeships, like the ones being offered at Manchester Metropolitan University, are unlocking life-changing opportunities for young people and giving businesses the skills they need.

“This multi-million pound fund will help universities and employers design new top quality degree apprenticeships and open doors to our young people.”

Vice-Chancellor Professor Malcolm Press said: “We were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to the University to showcase our trailblazing Degree Apprenticeship programmes. He was keen to find out more about the work we do on apprenticeships and was very impressed with the tremendous impact that we are already generating and the positive views of both apprentices and employers.

“We are proud of the contribution that Manchester Met makes in nurturing graduates with the necessary education and training to flourish in their careers and to help industry thrive. In particular, as the UK’s leading university for widening participation, we are determined to make a significant contribution towards the Prime Minister’s 2020 targets.

“Degree Apprenticeships are a logical extension of our approach to education and we are keen to develop them further in partnership with employers both within Greater Manchester and nationally.”

Manchester Met was one of the first to offer Degree Apprenticeships and is currently expanding to include new subject areas.

Degree Apprenticeships help employers tailor the skills of new talent to their business needs and offer opportunities to pursue academic learning alongside real-life work experience.

Companies develop the curriculum in partnership with universities from the outset, making course content instantly applicable to industry.

Firms such as Accenture, BT, Capgemini, CGI, Ford, Fujitsu, GlaxoSmithKline, HMRC, Hewlett Packard, IBM, John Lewis, Lloyds Banking Group and Network Rail joined as partners in designing the new apprenticeship standards.

Employers recruit apprentices who spend approximately 24 days a year at the University working towards a degree. Government funds two thirds of the cost of the degree, up to a maximum of £18,000. Employers pay the apprentice a wage and contribute the other third of the cost of the degree.

The first Degree Apprenticeship is the BSc (Hons) Digital & Technology Solutions, developed for modern businesses by combining technical IT expertise with business insight.

The apprenticeship offering at Manchester Met will soon feature the BSc (Hons) in Chartered Management. They will be joined by the BSc (Hons) Chemical Science Professions to add to other well-established programmes such as the Legal Services Apprenticeship at Manchester Law School.

To find out more about apprenticeships at Manchester Met, log on to www2.mmu.ac.uk/apprenticeships/.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Manchester Metropolitan University Centre for Enterprise .