Degree Apprenticeships are a high-quality alternative to a traditional university degree.

The programmes are co-designed by employers and universities, effectively combining work with study to provide the apprentice with the right knowledge, skills and behaviours for a specific job role.

They can be used to achieve a Level 6 degree or a Level 7 master’s degree.

Apprenticeship Standards are developed by employer-led groups known as trailblazers and outline the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for a specific job role.

Standards are managed by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and details of all available standards can be found on their websiteLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.

Benefits to your company include:

• Address skills gaps

• Attract new talent

• Upskill your workforce

• Increased productivity

• Improve staff retention

• Increased innovation

Apprentices spend 80% of their time learning on-the job and the remaining 20% training off-the-job studying towards their degree.

On-the-job learning

As apprentices are in full-time employment, most of their training takes place in the workplace. The 80% of their time learning on-the-job covers the job specific tasks that the apprentice would complete during their regular working hours.

Off-the-job training

Off-the-job training is defined as learning undertaken outside of an apprentice’s normal working environment, this can include training delivered at the apprentice’s normal place of work but must not be delivered as part of their normal working duties. Off-the-job training must equate to a minimum of 20% of the apprentice’s total working hours.

Studies will usually take place through either day release or block release a week at time spread throughout the year, depending on the programme you choose. Your apprentices’ will also study using our Virtual Learning Environment meaning they can learn from their home, office or further afield at a time that suits them.

Generally, Level 6 degree apprenticeships last between three and five years and a Level 7 degree apprenticeship lasts two to three years, it varies from programme to programme.

To be able to offer an apprenticeship the following rules must apply:

• You must have a genuine job and be able to offer an employment contract long enough for the apprentice to successfully complete their apprenticeship

• The role must enable the apprentice to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the Apprenticeship Standard

• The apprentice must have appropriate support from within the organisation to carry out their job role

• A minimum of 20% of their time must be spent training off-the-job

• The cost of the apprentices’ wage must be met by you

To apply for an apprenticeship the government require the apprentice to:

• Be at least 16 years old

• Have left full time education when the apprenticeship starts

• Have the right to work in the UK

• Have achieved GCSE Mathematics and English at grade 4/C or equivalent before completing the apprenticeship

• Meet one of the below residency requirements:

UK nationals - UK nationals are eligible for funding if they have been ordinarily resident in the UK, the British Overseas Territories, or Crown Dependencies (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship.

UK nationals in the EEA - UK nationals who have been living in the EEA prior to their apprenticeships are eligible for funding if they have been ordinarily resident in the EEA for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship; or, have been ordinarily resident in a combination of the UK and EEA for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship.

EEA nationals in the UK - Irish nationals are eligible for funding if they have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Ireland, or the EEA for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship.

All other EEA nationals are eligible for funding if they have obtained either pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme; and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA, Gibraltar, or the UK for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship.

Please note there are other residency criteria that cover a range of individual circumstances, for example family members of UK and EEA nationals. Please contact our Apprenticeships Team at apprenticeships@warwick.ac.uk for further advice.

Each Degree Apprenticeship will also have specific academic entry requirements in terms of the subjects and grades required.

The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced by the UK government in April 2017 to fund apprenticeship training and assessment in England. Levy payments can be used to upskill existing staff or recruit new talent and there is no upper age limit.

If you are an employer in England with an annual payroll over £3 million you will pay 0.5% on anything over £3 million into the Apprenticeship Levy.

The UK Government provide an annual levy allowance of £15,000 as well as a 10% monthly top-up on the funds you pay in, meaning you can get out more than you pay in.

The levy is paid to HMRC and the funds are held in the employers Digital Apprenticeship Service account. For more information see the governments guidanceLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.

Levy funds expire after 24 months if they are not spent and revert to a central government fund used to support apprenticeship training for smaller employers.

Whenever a payment is taken from the Digital Apprenticeship Service account, the service automatically uses the funds that entered the account first to minimise the amount of expired funds.

Levy-paying organisations can also choose to transfer a percentage of their funds to other organisations, to pay for their apprenticeship training. For more information see the governments guidanceLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.

If your annual payroll is less than £3 million you will not pay the Apprenticeship Levy but are still eligible for funding.

You will pay 5% towards the cost of training with the government funding 95%. There is a limit of 10 apprenticeship starts per financial year and you must reserve this funding through your Digital Apprenticeship Service account. For more information see the governments guidanceLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.

Employers that pay the levy can transfer their unused apprenticeship funds to help other organisations pay for apprenticeship training. For further details on how to do this please visit the governments guidanceLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.

If you would like to receive a transfer from another employer you can search for funding opportunities hereLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.

To support the creation of high quality apprenticeships the Government can offer incentive payments for employers who hire new apprentices. Contact our Apprenticeships Team at apprenticeships@warwick.ac.uk to check the incentives currently available and if your company is eligible.

For more information visit the Education and Skills Funding Agency guidanceLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.

The University of Warwick is a world class University with a reputation for excellence in research and teaching and has strong links with business and industry. We have partnered with local, national and international, private and public sector organisations to offer Degree Apprenticeships.

We are consistently in the top ten in national league tables and ranked 7th in the most recent Research Excellence Framework giving you the reassurance that by studying at Warwick your apprentices will be working towards degrees of a reliable and guaranteed quality.

We provide a challenging, yet supportive environment, with access to some of the latest innovation and thinking.

Warwick are renowned for producing graduates with the skills, motivation and potential to succeed in the global workplace, so by choosing us as your training provider, you are making the very most of your levy investment.

For an up-to-date list please visit our programmes page Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.

If the apprenticeship you are interested in is not listed, please get in touch to find out more about latest developments at apprenticeships@warwick.ac.uk.

All our programmes have the same high academic standards as our traditional degrees, with a high level of technical content and where possible opportunities for professional accreditation. Apprentices will have full access to our state-of-the-art facilities and excellent student support services.

Our dedicated Degree Apprenticeships Team are here to support you through every stage of the apprenticeship, from recruitment and selection, to guiding you through your contractual responsibilities and enrolling your apprentices onto the degree programme.

We’ll discuss your organisational requirements to ensure that we meet your needs as an employer, in the development of your apprentices to meet the current and future challenges of your business.

You will be given a dedicated contact who will continue to support you throughout the duration of the apprenticeship.

Yes, we will help you identify minimum educational or experience requirements and establish whether you’d like to upskill your existing workforce or take on new talent. If your ambition is to recruit new talent into the organisation, then we can ensure that your opportunities reach high-calibre candidates.

Start a conversation with our Degree Apprenticeships Team about working in partnership with Warwick to deliver your Degree Apprenticeships by emailing apprenticeships@warwick.ac.uk.