The University of Suffolk has been awarded £200,000 of funding to develop its next three degree apprenticeships in the public sector next year.
In March, the university was accepted onto the Register for Approved Training Providers which enabled it to begin developing its first degree apprenticeships – courses which allow students to work three or four days a week with a firm and spend one or two days a week at university learning key skills.
The healthcare assistant practitioner course launched in June, before the chartered management and digital and technology solutions courses kick-started in September.
Now, having been awarded funding by the Higher Education Funding Council for England as part of its degree apprenticeships development fund, three public sector courses in nursing, police and social work will begin.
Karen Hinton, head of student recruitment and marketing development at the university said: “The University of Suffolk has an excellent record in offering traditional undergraduate degrees in nursing, social work and criminology, so the apprenticeships will supplement these and will help to address the need to have more people working in these professions.
“We expect that there will continue to be interest in the traditional degree programmes, and we will work closely with employers to identify the students most likely to benefit from the apprenticeship programmes.
“We are excited to be developing these areas to add to our apprenticeship portfolio that already includes the chartered manager degree apprenticeship and the digital and technology solutions degree apprenticeship.”
The new courses will launch in September 2018, and be based on standards set by employers in the industry.
At least a third of the course content will be by blended learning, including online workshops, work with partner colleges and alternative locations.
Mrs Hinton added: “We recognise these professions aren’t Monday to Friday, 9-5pm, so the blended learning model is an excellent option for apprentices to access learning at times that suit both them and their employer.”
To find out more about the courses being launched and how to apply, visit the university website at www.uos.ac.uk/apprenticeships.
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