THE APPRENTICESHIP GUIDE
Apprenticeships tailored to business and learner needs
Apprenticeships have been through a revolution in recent years. Gone are the days when they were only an option for new career entrants – apprenticeships now provide a development pathway for staff at every level, and at any age. At the University of Gloucestershire, you can now study on apprenticeships leading to both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as professional qualifications. Apprenticeships have been found to be a highly effective way of providing much needed skills for employers. In fact, in a recent government survey, 86 per cent of employers said that apprentices helped to develop relevant skills for their organisation and to fill the skills gap. Larger organisations can recover costs through the apprenticeship levy, while smaller employers can access non-levy funding to meet 95 per cent of the qualification costs. According to the Department for Education, 90 per cent of apprentices gained a job after completing
their apprenticeship (or went on to further learning), while 71 per cent said apprenticeships had improved their earning potential. The University of Gloucestershire is now delivering apprenticeships in finance, leadership and management, health and social care, cyber security, education and engineering. Amongst the programmes available is the Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship (SLMDA) – upon successful completion of this programme learners achieve a Master’s in BusinessAdministration (MBA) from the University of Gloucestershire. Lynette Barrett, chief operating officer for National Star (based at Ullenwood Near Cheltenham) and part of its senior leadership team for more than a decade, is currently on the university’s SLMDA programme. “The people on my course are great, all are very supportive of one another and all have similar day to day pressures. “I enjoyed the Leadership by Design module; I found the reading around this relevant and interesting. The Business School at the university is great – it’s a very pleasant environment to work in,” said Ms Barrett. “At this stage, I think my learning is underpinning some
Lynette Barrett
Charley Kay
60 | December 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com
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