Thought Leadership

Aston University was one of the first higher education institutes to have Degree Apprenticeship graduates in 2017. 

And in 2020 we were named University of the Year at the prestigious BAME Apprenticeship Awards. We’ve worked with more than 300 organisations to deliver apprenticeships to more than 2000 learners.

On this page, you'll find thought leadership content where our industry experts share their knowledge, innovative ideas, and expertise in the field of apprenticeships. This content highlights how Degree Apprenticeships could impact the future of your organisation. 

Articles 

Aston University experts share their insights into Degree Apprenticeships - the benefits, the challenges, and more.

Investment Case for Degree Apprenticeships  

In discussions with clients over many years, the issue of budgets has always been a major factor when designing and developing a programme. All organisations must make careful decisions regarding how to allocate limited resources, and budgetary constraints affect management development programmes and Degree Apprenticeships in the same way as with all activities. Budgets notwithstanding, I have always been keen to stress to our employer partners that staff development can and should be seen as an investment rather than simply as a cost, and the benefits of well-designed and targeted programmes are significant, and measurable. Degree Apprenticeships represent a new challenge in terms of budgeting, as they are paid for out of the employer’s levy funds, but they offer significant benefits, nonetheless. Some of these benefits are directly measurable, whilst others are likely to impact multiple operational budget lines, sometimes subtly, sometimes more obviously. 

“The decision to enrol staff on an apprenticeship represents a significant commitment by the employer and it does require effort and engagement by the employer as well as the apprentice over the life of the programme. Managed well, with the right level of support, apprenticeships represent a range of both tangible and intangible benefits and a measurable bottom-line boost”

Terry Hodgetts
Director of Corporate Client Solutions at Aston University 

 

Retention Benefits

One of the major areas of challenge in talent management is the retention of early career hires. We see severe pressure, especially in some industries, on the retention of graduate recruits. An investment in an apprenticeship is a statement by the employer regarding the value of their employee: it reinforces the psychological contract and evidences organisational commitment, which in turn helps with retention and engagement. At higher levels, employers can view Level 7 apprenticeships as a possible strategy to help “lock in” high performers in challenging labour markets. 

Talent Initiatives 

An apprenticeship programme sends a clear message to the employee concerning the organisations intentions and expectations of future performance and development. It provides a structured pathway in many cases into future roles and new responsibilities. Throughout the lifetime of their apprenticeship, participants can take advantage of the opportunities their studies present to them to network more widely in the organisation, build relationships with other departments, and get involved in projects of real organisational value. And for many apprentices, the synoptic project provides the apprentice with an opportunity to make a direct impact on the business. 

Diversity 

One of the major benefits of apprenticeships has been the opening up of opportunities for individuals from non-traditional backgrounds to further their professional development and gain qualifications. We see many participants on programmes who did not get the chance to go to university, now able later in life to gain a degree qualification, and the associated recognition, knowledge and skills. Many of our participants come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and for many of them the traditional route into university education would prove challenging due to the cost implications. We are excited to see the possibilities for apprenticeships to open up educational opportunity for all the talents from whatever background. Apprenticeships also offer the potential to widen participation to under-represented groups, and we have seen for example a much more balanced gender profile in Digital and Technology apprenticeships compared to full time computer science programmes across the university sector. Diversity in hiring is an area we are keen to encourage employers to consider when recruiting for apprentices. The research evidence is clear: a diverse workforce is a more creative and innovative workforce. 

Return on Investment 

As noted above, investment in Degree Apprenticeships offers potentially significant retention benefits. The evidence suggests that, for professional roles, the cost to recruit a new hire, considering all the associated administrative processes, including severance of the previous role holder, can be between 50% and 150% of the annual salary for the role – and even more in key positions. The value to the organisation of deferring such costs, if only for a few years, are clear. While the costs associated would be split across multiple budget lines (payroll, pensions department, administrative services, legal, HR recruitment costs, reduced performance during onboarding, etc.) the total costs remain significant. The synoptic project represents an opportunity for the apprentice to undertake a significant piece of work for the organisation. This can be seen as the chance to benefit from some “internal consultancy”. We see myriad examples of projects on process improvements, supply chain initiatives, new market opportunities, customer experience innovations and other areas which offer the potential for very significant business benefits. Some projects have projected margin increases of tens of millions of pounds for their employer, with a payback period measured in months. We encourage employers to engage proactively with the project to maximise this potential benefit, which provides a signature career experience for the apprentice, and a bottom-line boost for the employer.

Podcast Episodes 

Join us on Aston Means Business podcasts, where we bring you expert insights on degree apprenticeship topics handpicked by top academics. Gain essential advice for business owners, managers, entrepreneurs, and learners alike.

Our esteemed guests, interviewed by Steve Dyson, a renowned business journalist and former daily newspaper editor, share their wealth of knowledge. Tune in to learn from the best and stay ahead in the business world!

Listen now

MBA Students at Aston Business School Focused on Their Personal and Professional Development 

 

Yasmin Ansari, Aston Business School's MBA careers consultant, explains how students benefit from a module called Aston Edge, focusing on career skills and behaviour science. She said MBA students are fully engaged, with “super ambitious and super driven” career aspirations, and that their courses focus on real-life applications and case-based learning. Release date: July 2023 Read the full press release.

How Executive Leadership Apprenticeships Can Drive Businesses' Talent Development 

Tomorrow’s boardroom superstars are emerging from executive leadership apprenticeships at Aston Business School. Discover more about the Masters-level programme from Terry Hodgetts, director of Corporate Client Solutions, and Dr Lloyd Parsons, director of the MBA and Chartered Management Institute programmes. Release date: February 2023 Read the full press release.

Women in Business

Women in business should consider themselves a strength, not a weakness. That's the message from Professor Helen Higson of Aston Business School, and Daniella Genas, an MBA graduate and successful entrepreneur, in a podcast episode created to celebrate International Women's Day.  Release date: March 2022 Read the full press release.

Case Studies 

The case studies showcase how the training provider relationship has evolved since the Department for Education set out its vision for apprenticeships. 

The findings demonstrate how the introduction of apprenticeships into the higher education space has impacted the provision of pastoral care, highlighted industry collaboration as a critical success factor, helped companies to start to redress the gender imbalance, and have been impactful and transformative regionally.

 Promoting Equality: Women in Logistics 

Organisations working with Aston University have found that Degree Apprenticeships can form an integral part of a talent management strategy – aiding retention and recruitment, upskilling existing employees, and even addressing issues of diversity in the workforce. This has been especially powerful in some of the traditionally male-dominated industries, such as engineering and supply chain, where Aston University’s apprenticeships have helped companies to start to redress the gender imbalance.

“In order to change the perception of the industry, it is important to encourage females to join.” 

Claire Charlton 
General Manager at Wincanton
Supply Chain Leadership & Management Degree Apprentice at Aston University

Aston University’s BSc apprenticeship in Supply Chain Management and MSc apprenticeship in Supply Chain Leadership and Management are delivered by the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. The College was awarded a Gold Athena Swan Award in 2022, recognising “significant and sustained progression and achievemnt in promoting gender equality”. This success was reflected at the Everywoman Transport and Logistics Awards 2022, where Nikki Foley a postgraduate Degree Apprentice from Aston University was named Warehouse Leader of the Year. Nikki, who works for Wincanton, was previously named as the industry’s ‘Rising Star’ at the Logistics UK Awards 2021. 

Nikki said: “I’m delighted to win the Everywoman Warehouse Leader Award. My Degree Apprenticeship has really supported me in the role as general manager for Wincanton. The programme has given me a broad knowledge of management and leadership topics, which has helped me to successfully lead teams. “I encourage other women to thrive within the sector and I regularly mentor colleagues to help increase inclusion and diversity.” 

Additionally, two other Aston University apprentices were runners-up at the Everywoman Awards 2022. Claire Charlton, studying for an MSc Supply Chain Leadership and Management Degree Apprenticeship, was a Tech Innovator runner-up, and Amy Hinsliff-Smith, who was in the second year of a BSc Supply Chain Degree Apprenticeship, was nominated for Apprentice of the Year. 

Johanna Smillie, Early Careers and Apprenticeship Manager at CEVA Logistics has put employees through the BSc Supply Chain Management apprenticeship at Aston University and said her company saw the benefits almost immediately. 

“The impact on the organisation has already been recognised and highly praised by the Senior Leadership team. Not only is it a way of encouraging younger talent into the business although we are keen to challenge the perception of apprenticeships are only for school leavers it has assisted us with allowing for fresh ideas in stagnant areas of the business,” she said.
 
“Apprenticeships are also a fantastic way to provide a pipeline for our hard-to-fill roles and those where we have an ageing workforce providing us with more diversity not just in age but gender too.” 

Research has shown that women can often feel isolated and unsupported in male dominated industries (Hewlett et al., 2008), but Sian Coley, who studied the apprenticeship programme through CEVA Logistics said apprenticeships are key for introducing diversity into imbalanced workplaces. 

“In order to change the perception of the industry, it is important to encourage females to join. Bringing women into the industry, whether this is through early careers or general recruitment is the only way to reduce the imbalance,” she said, “Through the Degree Apprenticeship scheme, I have taken on roles early in my career that I would not have had the opportunity to do until graduation with a standard degree. I encourage other women to thrive within the sector and I regularly mentor colleagues to help increase inclusion and diversity.”

The diversity of Aston University’s apprentices has caught the attention of other awards too. In 2021, we were named University of the Year at the BAME Apprenticeship Awards. Bally Purewal - who studied an MSc Senior Leadership Apprenticeship at Aston University was Highly Commended in the Apprentice of the Year 2022 (Retail, Hospitality and Tourism) category at the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards.

Impactful Regional Relationships 

Aston University transfers a portion of our apprenticeship levy funds to the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Scheme. The scheme, which was set up by WMCA three and a half years ago, covers small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) training and assessment costs of taking on an apprentice to support local SMEs and charities to upskill their staff within the region. 

The impact of Aston University’s £200,000 levy pledge has so far led to 23 apprentices having their training and assessments costs covered and 11 local businesses benefitting from our apprenticeship levy donation increasing job opportunities and boosting skills and productivity across the region.

The pioneering scheme has funded apprenticeship training for more than 1000 local SMEs and 3000 learners, keeping levy money within the region to help local businesses grow and upskill their staff. Aston University continues to partner with the scheme which has resulted in securing £40 million for local businesses.

Christopher McShane is the Managing Director of Marathon Kids UK (formerly Kids Run Free), a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to combating childhood obesity and poor mental health in children through physical activity. Christopher studied the Senior Leader Degree Apprenticeship through Aston University with support the of WMCA’s Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Scheme. 

“The apprenticeship has enabled me to support, shape and lead my current team of employees, as well as implement strategies to engage thousands of children and their families across the UK, helping them to take their first steps towards an active lifestyle.” 

Christopher was a finalist for The Chartered Management Institute Award’s Outstanding Apprentice of the Year 2022 which recognises significant progression and consistent commitment to personal and professional development, providing a positive impact for both their employers and fellow apprentices.

 

“This experience has enabled me to transform the organisation, while also advancing my strategic leadership skills, career, and potential as a young person in business.” 

Aston University’s other regional partnerships include being an employer partner of the Ladder for Greater Birmingham campaign which was launched in 2018 with the aim of creating more than 1,000 new apprenticeships in Birmingham and Solihull. Aston University are also a provider for Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP Skills and Apprenticeship Hub which provides a one-stop, business-focused skills solution for employers across the local geography. 

Untold Stories of Covid-19: Learners on The Front Line 

When the pandemic hit, Aston University had two cohorts of the new Healthcare Science Degree Apprenticeship based in NHS Audiology Departments. Sarah Riches, Director of the Healthcare Science Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship talks about how the relationship with learners and the provision of pastoral care supported learners to navigate challenges of Covid-19 and stay on-track.

Before the UK officially went into a lockdown on 23rd March 2020, Sarah became aware of conversations within NHS Trusts regarding the possible redeployment of staff and students from non-essential care departments to other services within hospitals.

“12 years in the NHS gave me an awareness of how the NHS responds to crisis situations. The close relationships with the audiology departments allowed me to act in a proactive rather than a reactive way once I understood that redeployment and significant disruption to services were inevitable.” 

Sarah Riches, 
Director of Healthcare Science Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship.

Risk Assess and Reduce Impact 

The Audiology Team at Aston University appreciated the importance of a considered and supportive approach to risk assessment which did not create additional anxiety and stress and reduced impact academically. Learners at the end of the teaching period would shortly be entering a revision stage ready for May exams, so any taught elements were shifted online.

Staying on Track

Students continued to access resources such as our Virtual Learning Environment: Blackboard, the library, and the audiology staff and as a department Sarah and her team kept in regular contact by email and phone to check-in on student welfare and progression.

Pastoral Care

This was a huge group effort from all involved - Sarah, the apprenticeship team, the module staff, and those acting as personal tutors to ensure that the apprentices were properly supported, particularly during this catch-up time. Some apprentices had posttraumatic stress to deal with after the pandemic. This was in some cases due to the nature of their redeployment and in others due to the general impact of the working conditions and the stress/trauma of working on the frontline during a global pandemic. Pastoral care from audiology staff as personal tutors was key to making sure students were given the right support. 

Communication

University communications regarding the Covid-19 situation went out to all apprentices and employers. Sarah remained on standby for incoming individual leave of absence requests from learners and their employers braced for the ripple effect as the pandemic started to affect other areas of the country more significantly.

Contingency

The Autumn term was used to catch up on missed teaching so that exams could be taken as normal in the new year. This was achieved by delaying the new September 2020 cohort to January 2021 and teaching during the revision period so that the students were able to catch up ready to join the BSc students in their modules in February. 

Leave of Absence

Within the course of a week, it was clear from Sarah’s dialogue with most the partner NHS Trusts that they were facing considerable disruption. All affected apprentices were placed on a blanket leave of absence and May exams were disrupted.

Outcome 

All learners caught up on their return in September, so they were prepared for rescheduled exams and in doing so retained their apprenticeship end date. Returners were not affected by the leave of absence academically and the new starters overall end date was unaffected. 

“Much of the workload of academic personal tutors is addressed by the professional model of pastoral support, in which there are dedicated staff who serve to bridge the relationship between personal tutors and specialist student services.” (Marr and Aynsley-Smith 2006)

The Employer Relationship: Industry Collaboration Key to Success 

In 2019, Aston University’s Professional Engineering Centre (APEC) developed a suite of Level 6 BEng Professional Engineering Degree Apprenticeship programmes in collaboration with major UK manufacturing companies. Goudarz Poursharif, Associate Dean Education, Aston University, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences describes how curriculum designed to be flexible and responsive to employers’ needs through meaningful consultation and in collaboration with industry is key to creating fit-for-purpose programmes that meet the needs of industry. 

Engineering Work Based Learning (WBL) degrees at Aston University’s APEC date back to 2004, starting with the Foundation Degree Engineering courses developed in collaboration with the National Grid. Over the past 18 years, the WBL programmes at APEC have been developed further to include other Foundation Degree Engineering programmes, with top-up BEng Professional Engineering progression routes, as well as an MSc Professional Engineering degree provision as part of the Engineering Council’s Gateway project. Since 2017, the new programme development efforts at APEC have focused on the development of new engineering Degree Apprenticeship programmes.

In January 2020, three Level 6 Engineering Degree Apprenticeship programmes were approved. These were developed in close partnership with industry and aligned to the following Degree Apprenticeship standards: 

• Control/Technical Support Engineer 
• Science Industry Process/Plant Engineer
• Manufacturing Engineer

Since their implementation the apprenticeships have successfully recruited more than 90 learners from more than 15 major companies in the UK engineering sector, including BMW UK, Alstom Transport, Fuchs PLC., National Grid Gas Transmission, Babcock, 3M, Ibstock, and others. The programmes are still growing, and APEC is now in the process of adding another Degree Apprenticeship to this suite, based on the Product Design and Development Engineer standard. The success and appeal of these programmes is due to the careful and collaborative way in which the programmes were designed with employers.

“An iterative and participatory curriculum design process was carried out at all stages of development between the programme team and training managers at three major manufacturing companies resulting in an understanding of how the broad Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours need to be interpreted to suitable content and outcomes, that are constructively aligned and harmonised with the needs of the employers, the scope of the apprentices’ roles, and the assessment methods and requirement of the End Point Assessment.”

Goudarz Poursharif,
Associate Dean Education, Aston University, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. 

“Alstom were involved in the curriculum design process for the Control/Technical Support Engineer. I manage our apprenticeship programme and work closely with the team at Aston University to ensure the apprentices have a fantastic experience. The collaborative industry approach used by Aston University quite simply ensures our future talent are equipped with the skills they need to be our future engineers and leaders.” Jon Middleton, Apprenticeship Development Manager, Alstom. 

Based on this appraisal from stakeholder engagement, our established approaches, in essence, the development of strong partnerships with employers as a higher education institution, can serve as practical models for other higher education providers in the delivery of tailored, impactful, and successful Degree Apprenticeship programmes that are instep with the current and future needs of industry.

 
Programme Structure and Delivery 

The three Degree Apprenticeship programmes were designed as 4-year part-time programmes. The programmes are front-loaded with Levels 4 and 5 completed in the first two years, followed by a two-year Level 6 or Stage Final. The model was influenced by the needs of employers to close the skills gap in their workforce as quickly as possible by working with apprentices that obtain the foundational engineering knowledge in the first two years of their apprenticeship. 

Employer Feedback 

Aston University responded to feedback from employers and apprentices by replacing the academic supervisors at Levels 4 and 5 of these programmes with professional skills coaches who could monitor the learners’ development, ensuring they met the required standards for their assessments. This change came within the first year of programme delivery as the university worked hard to respond quickly to employer’s needs. 

Adding Value Through Work-based Projects

Rather than traditional examinations or coursework essays, Aston University apprenticeships are assessed through work-based projects enabling learners to solve real world challenges as they learn. This means learners are adding value to their organisation throughout the course which has been a rich source of positive feedback from employer. 

Flexibility 

A participatory and iterative curriculum design process in collaboration with industry afforded the flexibility to allow for gradual adjustment over time based on feedback and reflection, so that the programmes are adaptive in nature, responding quickly and efficiently to changes in the needs and focus of the employers and the diversity of learners

What's Next? 

The Future of Degree Apprenticeships 

In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, Aston University launched The Future of Degree Apprenticeships event. Learners, employers and Aston staff came together to share their insights and expertise in a series of sessions exploring the positive impact of Degree Apprenticeships on organisations and individuals.

Session 1: The Apprenticeship Journey 

A graduate of Aston University’s Executive MBA shares his insights into how the programme facilitated his trajectory from selling Pokemon trading cards in primary school to a thriving career with a prestigious luxury car manufacturer. Jack Miller, currently a manager at Aston Martin, seamlessly integrated an Apprenticeship Degree into his MBA. Despite being on the programme, Jack achieved a promotion and anticipates another ascent up the corporate hierarchy in the near future.

Session 2: Evolving Regulations & Responsibilities 

 

Rebecca Rhodes, an independent consultant working in education and skills, advises employers and training providers on apprenticeship start-up, growth and quality improvement. As the Associate Director at UVAC, she leads their technical programme, collaborates with government and stakeholders to influence apprenticeship policy, and serves as Non-Executive Director on the board of a Grade 1 Ofsted apprenticeship training provider. In this session, Rebecca explores recent advancements in Degree Apprenticeships, covering regulations, duties, employer obligations, encompassing support for learners, financial considerations, auditing processes, and more.

Session 3: Employer Best Practice for Degree Apprenticeships 

Jon Middleton from Alstom and Dan Coupe from DHL discuss their best practices in managing apprenticeship development. They share their insights into their experiences, lessons they learned, and the methods they employ to facilitate on-the-job learning.

Session 4: Measuring ROI on Apprenticeships 

Terry Hodgetts, Aston University's Director of Corporate Client Solutions, with over 20 years in organisation development, discusses framing Apprenticeships as investments. His extensive role in executive development programs includes client commissioning, design, program management, and delivery. Terry covers topics such as measuring ROI, staff retention, new revenue, and the impact of acquired skills.