National Apprenticeship Week 2019
This year, the theme of National Apprenticeship Week is “Blaze the Trail” and focuses on the brilliant opportunities now available to businesses and individuals.
The introduction of degree apprenticeships has certainly earned Coventry University the reputation as trailblazers in the sector by allowing apprentices to combine work with part-time study since 2016.
Coventry’s first degree apprentices
In early 2018, the first-ever cohort of degree apprentices completed Chartered Manager programmes at Coventry University. These five students were able to study at the university while working part-time and gaining on-the-job experience with their employer GE Aviation. All were offered permanent jobs with the company at the end of their programmes.
Dan Taylor, one of the five apprentice alumni on the scheme achieving a Distinction in his BA (Hons) and CMI in Management, told us about his experiences.
My degree apprenticeship focused on communication, leadership and team-working, equipping me with a range of transferable skills invaluable to employers.
When I started I was a naturally introverted person, but the apprenticeship challenged me to move out of my comfort zone and I am a better person for it.
Having the Chartered Manager (CMI) status, a BA and five years’ work experience meant I was well positioned to go onto further education in an area I am interested in.
Dan Taylor
Coventry University works with over 100 employers from industries, including automotive, financial services, aircraft engineering and health care across 11 apprenticeship programmes.
We have seen a fantastic pace of growth and in less than 18 months we have gone from one apprenticeship programme to more than 10 and our number of learner have increased 10-fold.
I am incredibly proud of the progress that the University has made. The apprenticeship team and colleagues from across the University, have put in a sustained effort to create innovative apprenticeship programmes with the needs of industry at their core.
Kerry McGreavy, Coventry University Apprenticeship Manager
