Degree Apprenticeship

ccdorset · 22 October 2019 at 6:14PM

Hello,

I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask for advice on this, however I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions on Degree Apprenticeships?

I work in IT and my existing employer is offering a 3 year "Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprenticeship". It would mean that I keep my existing salary/role and go to uni one day a week. The result is that I would leave uni with a BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions (Software Engineering Path) – as well as a digital technology solutions apprenticeship qualification.

It seems a very good offer, as I wouldn't have to pay anything towards it.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience of these and whether other companies would consider the qualification any different to a standard degree path?

Thanks :-)

Neil_Jones · 22 October 2019 at 6:51PM

A qualification is a qualification regardless of how you achieved it, via Apprenticeship, via traditional university, subsidised by your workplace or through the Open University - it still counts.

Apprenticeships are probably the best of both worlds particularly the higher degree ones - you can get the qualification while doing the work without any of the debt.

sooty&sweep · 22 October 2019 at 7:24PM

Hi

It costs roughly £10k per annum in fees to do a degree so if you want to do a degree & you can get your employer to pay sounds good to me.

Just check what they will expect you to sign requiring you to stay with them for a period of time after you've finished or pay the fees back.

Jen

getmore4less · 22 October 2019 at 7:33PM

Experience and qualifications.

If the employer is one of the good ones(on cv they count a lot) you probably have no choice because they want you to do it and would be career limiting if you turned it down.

Depending on your specialty you could still progress with experience/self learning.

Apprenticeship have always been the best way to kick start careers, most professional jobs they are compulsory, doctors architects, accounts chartered engineers....

Savvy_Sue · 23 October 2019 at 1:47AM

ccdorset wrote: »

It seems a very good offer, as I wouldn't have to pay anything towards it.

that's a good offer, but you may be asked to sign an agreement that if you leave during the period of study, or within a certain amount of time afterwards, you'll have to repay at least a proportion of the course fees. And if you leave part-way through, you'll either have to give up the course, or find another employer who is willing to support your ongoing study.

I wouldn't want that to put you off, just something to be aware of and maybe ask about.

NBLondon · 24 October 2019 at 3:32PM

ccdorset wrote: »

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience of these and whether other companies would consider the qualification any different to a standard degree path?

They're a bit new to find anyone who's completed one here....

As others have said... check the contract about having to pay back fees if you take the qualification and run. If your current employer is keen enough to put you through it that's a good sign they want to keep you.

Remember that you will have to put in some effort in your own time on top of the day at uni - just as if you were trying for professional exams.

Whether future employers will see it as less than say a Comp Sci degree done the traditional way - that's a few years down the line. But in the IT world - the fact that you have some real world experience as a software engineer as well as the parchment will be a big factor in your favour.

Good Luck!

Savvy_Sue · 24 October 2019 at 10:13PM

NBLondon wrote: »

Whether future employers will see it as less than say a Comp Sci degree done the traditional way - that's a few years down the line.

One would hope that employers would see a degree, as a degree, as a degree, or even see a degree taken in this way as better than the traditional way - similar to the Open University. I have a sibling who studied with the OU while working, whereas I did things the traditional way, and I know who deserves their degree most - not me!

NBLondon wrote: »

But in the IT world - the fact that you have some real world experience as a software engineer as well as the parchment will be a big factor in your favour.

Yes, a degree without the experience is unlikely to take you far!

getmore4less · 25 October 2019 at 5:45AM

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

One would hope that employers would see a degree, as a degree, as a degree, or even see a degree taken in this way as better than the traditional way - similar to the Open University. I have a sibling who studied with the OU while working, whereas I did things the traditional way, and I know who deserves their degree most - not me!

Yes, a degree without the experience is unlikely to take you far!

The problem is they are not.

Having recruited for entry level jobs(software engineering companies) the quality of candidates correlated with where they studied.

This becomes less of an issue once there is a track record but for entry level first/second jobs you don't get a lot to go on.

I think the key here is when looking for people you look at their history and see what selection processes they have been through before, some places(education&employer) have a reputation for using better selections processes this give you a head start when moving jobs.

marlot · 25 October 2019 at 6:47AM

I've coached a couple of young people who have done degree apprenticeships in software engineering.

I'd check which university is behind the degree - some are better than others.

And secondly, expect it to be very hard work for 4-5 years. Yes, your employer is giving you a day a week off, but the people I coached were putting in about 20 hours a week above that.

If you want a degree without the cost, and whilst earning a wage, it's a fab offer. If you're not motivated for the 4-5 years it will take, don't even start it.

The two young people I coached are doing fabulously well. One has just finished, with a first, and is now on £60k a year at age 24. The other will do just as well.

ccdorset · 28 October 2019 at 11:25PM

Thank you for all your replies and the info!

Yes my manager has mentioned I will need to sign something to say that I would stay for a certain period of time, otherwise I would have to repay the fees. They haven't specified how long this would be yet though.

The course is for 3 years at Solent University. I have done a bit of research about the uni and it doesn't seem to have a great reputation! But maybe I am worrying too much about that.

[Deleted User] · 30 October 2019 at 11:05AM

Is that university close to you?

Degree Apprenticeship

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