Degree Apprenticeships were launched by the UK Government to bring together the very best of higher and vocational education in order to address the skills and productivity challenges that have plagued the UK economy for the last 20-30 years.
Degree Apprentices split their time between university study and the workplace and are employed throughout – gaining a full bachelor’s or master’s degree while earning a wage and getting real on-the-job experience in their chosen profession. Degree Apprentices do not pay tuition fees as these are covered by their sponsoring employer. In return, employers are able to upskill and employ new staff to address skills gaps within their organisation and utilise funds from their Apprenticeship Levy account.
Queen Mary University of London was the first Russell Group University to launch apprenticeships back in 2015.Since then, we have grown our apprenticeship offering alongside our portfolio of excellent employers.
For employers with an annual PAYE bill of £3m or more, Degree Apprentices can be funded through their monthly Apprenticeship Levy payment. For smaller employers who do not attract the Apprenticeship Levy, the cost of course fees is shared between government (90%) and employers (10%). Further information on the mechanics of the Apprenticeship Levy can be found on our Apprenticeship Levy Explained page.
Degree Apprentices must be employed for a minimum of 30 hours a week and spend a minimum of 20% of their time in off-the-job training. This 20% component can be satisfied through a variety of delivery models such as day or block release (i.e. attending lectures, seminars and lab sessions on campus) or through distance learning on a virtual learning environment.
Find out more about the apprenticeship levy, and how it impacts the degree apprenticeships we provide.