Sheffield Hallam welcomes funding boost for degree apprenticeships

Sheffield Hallam University has welcomed funding from the Office for Students (OfS) to continue to develop and expand its degree apprenticeship programme.

Sheffield Hallam will receive £445,000 from the £8million pot of funding announced by the OfS yesterday (Thursday 9 March), the second highest allocation of any university. The University was one of the UK’s earliest adopters of degree apprenticeships in 2015, followed by the opening of the National Centre of Excellence for Degree Apprenticeships (NCEDA) at the University in 2018.

Earlier this month, the University launched the UK’s first degree apprenticeship in medical sonography alongside two other new healthcare degree apprenticeships in dietetics and operating department practice.

Sheffield Hallam offers one of the widest portfolios of degree apprenticeships in the country in key sectors including health, digital, engineering, construction and management, recently welcoming its 2,500th degree apprentice.

Dan Lally, director of business engagement, skills and employability, said: “We welcome this funding from the Office for Students to enable us to continue to expand our degree apprenticeship programme.

“As a University, we are committed to offering degree apprenticeships as an alternative route to a degree qualification and highly-skilled jobs. We are in an excellent position to continue to strengthen our partnerships with business and organisations regionally and nationally to develop new degree apprenticeships to address skills shortages in key sectors.”

Minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education Robert Halfon, who visited Sheffield Hallam in February as part of National Apprenticeship week, said: “Degree apprenticeships offer people of all backgrounds an alternative route to achieving their career goals than doing a traditional three-year degree.

“They enable students to earn while they learn the skills needed to build a successful career. I’m delighted that the OfS is continuing to support and encourage HE providers to expand their degree and degree level apprenticeship offer.”

Degree apprenticeships are an alternative earn and learn route to a degree qualification. They combine working with studying part-time at a university. Apprentices are employed throughout the programme and spend part of their time at university and the rest with their employer.

Programmes are developed by employers, universities, and professional bodies working in partnership to address regional and national skills needs.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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