Degree apprenticeships improving life and employment chances for graduates, says new report

Degree apprenticeships are helping to improve social mobility, increasing opportunities for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and boosting earnings, says a new university report.

In the new ‘Force for Change’ report published today (November 25), Manchester Metropolitan University outlines how the way it delivers degree apprenticeship programmes has also benefitted employers by growing talent and reducing skills shortages.

Introduced by the government in 2015, degree apprenticeships combine full-time paid work with part-time study, allowing apprentices to gain a full bachelors or masters degree while in employment.

As a leading provider of degree apprenticeships, working with more than 500 employer partners and admitting more than 2,500 apprentices since 2015, Manchester Metropolitan has reviewed their impact, to understand whether they deliver on their promises and recommend any learning for the future.

The report has found degree apprenticeships are:

• Directly supporting young people - More than a third of the University’s apprentices are aged 20 or under and more than half are aged 24 or under when starting the programme.
• A powerful vehicle for social mobility - Overall, 40% of Manchester Metropolitan degree apprentices are the first generation in their family to go to university.
• Increasing opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds - According to Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) data, 36% of all Manchester Metropolitan apprentices are from the most deprived areas.
• Increasing opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds - Manchester Metropolitan cohorts are becoming more ethnically diverse, with an increase in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic apprentices, from 10% in 2015-16 to 19% in 2020-21.
• Championing alternative routes into STEM for women - 34% of current Manchester Metropolitan STEM apprentices are women, a substantial improvement on the national undergraduate average of 22%.
• Helping employers recruit and develop the skills they need - A recent survey of Manchester Metropolitan partner employers asked them to assess the “degree of impact” that degree apprenticeships had had on 15 objectives. The highest scoring objectives were growing talent (100%), bringing knowledge into the organisation (88%), encouraging progression on the career ladder (81%), and reducing skills shortages (79%).

The report also shows the impact on degree apprentices themselves, with the proportion of those who pass their apprenticeship at Manchester Metropolitan being 83%, which is significantly higher than the national undergraduate average of 64%.

In addition, 78.3% of Manchester Metropolitan degree apprentices received a pay-rise and 64.2% received a promotion during their apprenticeship.

Professor Malcolm Press, Vice-Chancellor at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “We thought the time was right to review the impact of degree apprenticeships, to understand whether they deliver on their promises and what we can learn for the future.

“We know that for some people the traditional route of a three year, on-campus degree course is not an avenue that is either available or suits their life. Our report has found that our apprenticeships are helping employers recruit and develop the skills they need, growing talent, bringing knowledge into the organisation, encouraging career progression and reducing skills shortages.

“We believe degree apprenticeships are delivering on their promises and as awareness of them continues to grow, so too will the opportunities for real and lasting impact on people’s lives.”

• Read Professor Malcolm Press’ full blog on LinkedIn

The findings of Manchester Metropolitan’s report contrast with a recent report from The Rt Hon David Willetts who stated that “higher level apprentices were more white, more male, less likely to be disabled and less likely to be from a deprived area.”

The University outlines how the proportion of degree apprenticeship starters from disadvantaged backgrounds has increased steadily over time, with Manchester Metropolitan’s approach and targeted outreach strategy helping to engage more disadvantaged areas and achieve greater uptake than national undergraduate figures.

Providing evidence to the recent education select committee, the Minister for Universities Michelle Donelan stated that the government wants more degree apprenticeships and is considering incentives to expand their provision.

To achieve this, Manchester Metropolitan’s report recommends more promotion for degree apprenticeships and better performance metrics around the quality, social mobility, skills and labour market outcomes to ensure graduates and businesses can benefit from their full potential.

For more information on degree apprenticeships at Manchester Metropolitan visit the University’s apprenticeships webpage.