Herts to boost degree apprenticeship offering after securing more than half a million pound government funding
New degree apprenticeships in civil engineering, data science, radiography, social work and dietetics will soon be available at the University of Hertfordshire after the institute secured a government investment of more than half a million pounds.
It’s been announced that Herts is set to receive £588,919 from the Office for Students (OfS) as part of the first round of its £40 million degree apprenticeship fund. This investment is aimed at increasing the number of apprenticeship programmes and places available at English universities.
The new apprenticeships being made available at Herts as a result are Therapeutic Radiographer, Diagnostic Radiographer, Dietitian, Social Worker, Civil Engineer and Data Scientist, and will run during the 2024/25 academic year.
Professor Kate Asante, Professor of Skills and Innovation and Director of Lifelong Learning and Employment at the University of Hertfordshire, said:
“We are thrilled to further broaden the range of degree apprenticeships available at Herts and to strengthen the high-quality, career-focused education and training we can offer employers in the region that meets the growing demand for apprenticeships. These new apprenticeships will offer a choice of education pathways into professions and we look forward to collaborating with employers in developing them."
Professor Asante added that apprenticeships are also hugely beneficial to organisations and encouraged any local businesses interested to get in touch. “There are so many benefits to becoming an apprenticeship partner with the University of Hertfordshire!” she said. “We can help tackle workforce development challenges, work with you to create bespoke, relevant education programmes and provide award-winning teaching.”
The OfS announced on 17 January it would be investing £12 million in its first round of funding, to increase Level 6 degree apprenticeship courses and places available in English higher education. The result of a competitive bidding process, 205 programmes across 51 higher education providers will be supported by the fund.
John Blake, Director for Fair Access and Participation at the OfS, said:
“Degree apprenticeships can provide a beneficial alternative route for students in higher education, which bridges the spaces between traditional study and the workplace. Our initial £12 million investment will support universities and colleges to accelerate their efforts to grow and develop these courses.
“We set universities and colleges a challenge to deliver an extensive range of degree apprenticeships that students from all backgrounds could access. They responded with a wide range of innovative and ambitious bids. This is a major intervention by the OfS and I am excited to see how the successful bids from the first wave of applications expand and enhance courses on offer to students.”
For more information on the University of Hertfordshire’s Higher and Degree Apprenticeship provision for either businesses or learners, please visit our website or contact one of the team on apprenticeships@herts.ac.uk.