University of Greenwich Receives Funding for Degree Apprenticeships
Following an extensive and competitive bidding process, the University of Greenwich has been awarded £1.2 million (a portion of a total £40 million) to be used over the next two years, to provide degree apprenticeships.
The funding will grow the university’s ability to deliver high quality Level 6 degree apprenticeships on both current and new apprenticeships with either low uptake or in priority areas, giving access to more potential students. They will begin in April 2024.
The University of Greenwich was one of only three (out of a total of 32) institutions to receive over £1 million in funding, and secured the second most funding in total.
Apprenticeships are an efficient way for students to up-skill or retrain directly into the career, if not the company they wish to work in, allowing them to earn as they learn.
The providers of the apprenticeships include organisations like the Ministry of Defence, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and FM Conway.
The university will offer the following apprenticeships:
- Product Design and Development Engineer
- Construction Site Management
- Embedded Electronic Systems Design and Development Engineer
- Chartered Surveyor
- Science Industry Process and Plant Engineer
- Physiotherapist
- Paramedic
- Operating Department Practitioner
- Speech and Language Therapist
- Laboratory Scientist
- Registered Nurse Degree
- Midwife
With 50% of its students being first in their family to go to university and 57% of students identifying as BAME, the University of Greenwich vision of ‘Education Without Boundaries’ includes widening access to higher education for individuals, fighting for improved social mobility and equality and diversity and inclusivity. The university aims to grow to 5000 apprenticeships by 2030 in high demand sectors and those important to the local area.
Professor Jane Harrington, Vice Chancellor and CEO of the University of Greenwich said:
‘We are delighted to have been successful in our bid. We are always looking at ways to improve our offering to not only widen access to higher education but also to provide much-needed skills for the future.’
John Blake, Director for Fair Access and Participation at the OfS, said:
‘With this second round of bids, we were looking for universities and colleges to not only describe how OfS funding would expand their degree apprenticeships student numbers and course provision, but also to further demonstrate how they would prioritise recruiting and supporting students from all backgrounds to succeed. I’m pleased to say that all the successful bids have risen to this challenge.’