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Deborah Darnell catches up with an employer, university, and recent apprentice to discuss the benefits of degree apprenticeships and outlines what IChemE will be doing to help support the burgeoning pathway

WE KNOW that for an increasing number of young people, degree apprenticeships are an attractive option: there is a growing range of quality degrees on offer, and they allow school leavers to “earn while they learn”, so reducing the financial burden. Add to that a secure job at the end of it and you have a viable alternative to the traditional routes that have dominated in the past.

They also make sense for universities struggling to plug the gap left by reduced intakes of international students (migration policies making it more difficult and expensive for overseas students to get visas). With the domestic tuition fee having remained frozen for the last ten years, it has prompted increased interest in providing degree apprenticeships as an alternative funding stream – UCAS data shows that 40% of all UCAS registrants are interested in apprenticeships.

Unfortunately, our sector has been behind other engineering sectors in the adoption of degree apprenticeships. That is why IChemE is committed to engaging with vocational routes, both by opening and facilitating discussion between academia and potential employers and by raising awareness of chemical engineering and process engineering and the opportunities it offers to young people.

This will ensure our profession has both the calibre and breadth of educational opportunities available to school leavers. Early evidence of this coming to fruition can be seen at Teesside University where collaboration between IChemE, the university, and industry has resulted in a sizable first cohort for their Science Industry Process and Plant Engineer Degree Apprenticeship.

Furthermore, academic institutions that provide a degree accredited by IChemE and have the degree element of the apprenticeship accredited by IChemE will be celebrated as an IChemE Pathway Centre (more to come on this in the coming months).

With an urgent need for more chemical, biochemical, and process engineers to fill the skills gap and address the growing needs in sustainability, larger companies are already recruiting into Accredited Company Training Schemes (graduate development) and degree apprenticeships.

Offering an apprenticeship can:

introduce fresh talent and ideas to your business by recruiting new staff and upskilling existing members
align training to your business needs
boost staff loyalty and motivation (government studies show that because of apprenticeships, 80% of employers report higher staff retention, while 92% see a boost in workforce motivation and satisfaction)
A St Martin’s Group study on the benefits of apprenticeships found that, despite associated costs, UK employers see an average annual gain of £2,500 to £18,000 in output per apprentice during their training period.

Article continued on The Chemical Engineer website & September edition of the magazine. To continue reading, please follow the link below.

External URL: https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/features/degree-apprenticeships-a-working-pathway-for-students-and-employers/