Businesses in all sectors across Wales are continuing to recruit apprentices and upskill their existing workforce using apprenticeships despite the economic challenges brought on by the pandemic.
Business News Wales chatted to Catherine Morris-Roberts, Skills and Employability Project Manager for the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, to discuss why apprenticeships might be an option for your workplace. You can catch the full interview here –
Catherine said:
“Degree Apprenticeship is a combination of workplace learning of a traditional apprenticeship with a higher education qualification, so an apprentice is a formal employee and undertaking a qualification at the same time.”
She stated that degree apprentices “finish their courses with the skills to succeed at work, as well as the higher level knowledge that comes with the degree qualification.” She went on to describe how Degree Apprenticeships run for the duration of the degree course and will usually be a minimum of three years and maximum of five years in length.
Catherine went on to describe how there’s no cost to the employer for the formal training received on an apprenticeship. “The only cost, therefore, for the employer, is the apprentice’s wages.”
Talking in further detail, Catherine explained how Degree Apprentices save on the cost of recruitment and can help improve a service with improved productivity.
For more information on Degree Apprenticeships, on the 16th of August representatives from Bangor University, Glyndwr University and the Open University will be discussing the benefits of Degree Apprenticeships in more detail. You will be able to watch the discussion on this website. Alternatively, Employers can find out more about degree apprenticeships and gain impartial guidance through the Business Wales Skills Gateway:https://businesswales.gov.wales/skillsgateway/apprenticeships.
