WHAT IS A DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP?
Degree Apprenticeships provide an opportunity to gain a full honours bachelor’s degree (Level 6).
These programmes are being developed by employers, universities and professional bodies working in partnership. Degree Apprenticeships combine working with part-time study at a university. Apprentices are employed throughout the programme and spend part of their time at university and the rest with their employer. This can be on a day-to-day basis or in blocks of time, depending on the year of delivery. Degree Apprenticeships are already popular amongst other industries such as construction, financial services and IT. Large firms such as Deloitte, EY, ICE and Kainos have successful Degree Apprenticeships that have been running in Northern Ireland for a number of years.
HOW IS IT FUNDED?
Degree Apprenticeships have two aspects, learning and working. The cost of learning is paid for by the Department for the Economy NI. The apprentice is paid from day one of the programme by the employer for both working on site and their learning at university.
WHAT IS THE MEGA DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP IN CONJUNCTION WITH ULSTER UNIVERSITY?
Working collaboratively, MEGA with its industry network and Ulster University, School of Computing & Intelligent Systems at Magee campus as the Education Provider, together launched Northern Ireland’s first Industry Approved Manufacturing Engineering Degree Apprenticeship in 2021.