Three new universities to offer Tech Partnership’s Digital Degree Apprenticeship

Three new universities, Birkbeck, Leeds Beckett and Teesside, have joined the select group of universities working directly with businesses to deliver the BSc (Honours) Digital & Technology Solutions degree apprenticeship programme, accredited by the Tech Partnership.

The programme, which allows apprentices to attend university while also being employed full-time, is designed to integrate academic rigour and invaluable work experience. Students earn a salary and do not pay tuition fees, meaning that they can graduate debt-free.

The BSc Digital & Technology Solutions degree apprenticeship was designed by employers working together through the Tech Partnership, and introduced as the first of its kind in any sector. Since its launch, over 700 employees from over 60 companies – including Accenture, Atos, BT, Caggemini, CGI, Ford, Fujitsu, Goldman Sachs, GSK, IBM, John Lewis, Lloyds Bank and Virgin Media – have studied on the Tech Partnership digital degree apprenticeships programme at 16 universities across England – such as Aston, Manchester Metropolitan, Queen Mary London and the QA/Roehampton collaboration.

The programme is going from strength-to-strength, with its first ever cohort of digital degree apprentices graduating last month. Employers are also currently working through the Tech Partnership to create a Masters degree apprenticeship, incorporating an MSc in Digital & Technology Solutions, which we hope will be available from early 2018.

Jamie Meininger explains why, as a degree apprentice working at IBM as a Client Support Manager and studying at Queen Mary University, London, he feels he got the best of both worlds: “I’ve managed to learn a lot at university, meet new friends and interact with students who are just taking the normal university route. But it’s also great because what I’ve learned I’ve been able to use on a day-to-day basis in my job. It’s been an amazing opportunity, and given me great insight into what I want to do in the future.”

Bob Clift, Head of Higher Education on behalf of the Tech Partnership, added: “Degree Apprenticeships represent a true win-win: companies gain enthusiastic recruits who are keen to learn and put their knowledge into practice, while the apprentices gain a highly regarded qualification and excellent career prospects without incurring student debt. This represents a real contribution to closing the tech skills gap. Employers can be confident that a programme accredited by the Tech Partnership will be of the highest quality in terms of content and delivery.”

Find out more about Degree Apprenticeships

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