How to get the most out of a degree apprenticeship: advice for employers

We share our top seven pieces of advice for employers, to ensure you’re leveraging the success of a degree apprenticeship, both in the short term and the long term. By focusing on these tips, employers can run a degree apprenticeship programme that benefits both apprentices and the business, adding significant value to both. 

1. Align with business goals  

Plan strategically to ensure the degree apprenticeship programme aligns with your long-term business goals. By creating a clear link between the programme and your business objectives, a degree apprentice can fill immediate operational needs but also provide support for long-term organisational goals. As your apprentice moves through their study, they are also growing with the company, becoming a valuable asset. So think ahead, awareness of this at the start can massively impact what the rest of your apprenticeship journey looks like. 

2. Assign relevant projects  

Whilst there may be the expectation for apprentices to fulfil the general day-to-day responsibilities of their role, don’t forget that you can have a hand in personalising their on-the-job experience. Assign meaningful projects that provide learning opportunities but are also beneficial to the company. This ensures that their work directly impacts the business and therefore provides a return on investment.

For example, they may be studying a module that can be applied to a real-world scenario. This was the case for  Creative Digital Design degree apprentice, Alicia-Mae McCarron at COUCH Health, who used the skills she learnt in her branding module to implement a new brand guidelines document that was successfully rolled out company wide. 

3. Collaborate with Manchester Met 

Whether you are new to degree apprenticeships, or one of our more experienced employer partners, we are always here to help. We pride ourselves on our strong relationships with employers, and we offer several services and resources to provide support to you and your apprentice. From a dedicated account manager and advice about funding, to guidance surrounding assessments and training plans. We encourage you to work closely with us to understand the curriculum, and to produce graduates who are well-prepared to meet the specific needs of your business. For more information visit our employer support page.  

Every programme has an active Employer Advisory Board, which helps us shape our programmes to directly meet the needs of business. If you are an employer who would like to feed into the development of our curriculum and delivery model, please get in touch. The Employer Advisory Board is also a great opportunity to network with employers from across multiple industries.  

4. Provide feedback and support 

Assign an experienced mentor to guide your apprentice, helping them to get up to speed as a new starter and acting as a point of contact as they settle into their new role and continue through the course of their employment. This is also applicable to existing staff who are upskilling themselves, whilst the company may not be new to them, juggling an apprenticeship will be. Conducting performance reviews and providing regular constructive feedback will also lead to a higher quality of work and a stronger understanding of business needs, which in turn will boost productivity.  

5. Invest in training and development 

You’ve already invested in training and development by taking on an apprentice, but it’s important to provide opportunities for continuous learning. Identifying skills gaps in your business and offering these training opportunities gives your apprentice the chance to develop new skills which will benefit the business in the long term. It also keeps their skills current, which is crucial for maintaining a competitive advantage and keeping up to date with market changes. Don’t forget that soft skills, such as communication and teamwork, are just as important to create a well-rounded employee. 

6. Monitor and evaluate 

As the apprenticeship journey progresses, monitor the progress of your apprentices to ensure that they’re meeting business expectations and contributing to business goals. 

Whilst our dedicated Skills Coaches will provide pastoral support and ensure that apprentices remain on track.

Whilst our dedicated Skills Coaches will hold them accountable in regard to their academic work, it’s important to show awareness of your apprentices’ workload and support them in maintaining a good work/university/life balance. Help them to manage a stressful workload, and in return, their productivity at work is likely to flourish.

We also recommend gathering feedback from your apprentice so the company’s apprenticeship programme can keep evolving, making it more effective over time. 

7. Make the future clear 

Keep in mind that once your apprentice graduates, they’ll possess a qualification that is beneficial not only to them but also to your business. Develop a strategy for retaining them by defining career progression routes and making their future at the company clear. Make sure to discuss further development opportunities and offer a competitive salary as they progress from apprentice into their new role.

At this stage, your apprentice is a valuable asset with company knowledge and a strong current skillset. By creating an inclusive and supportive workplace, your apprentice should feel valued and part of the team, and in turn, the company will benefit from their loyalty. Remember, apprenticeships are not just for new talent either, show existing employers that they are valued by making it clear that apprenticeships are also available to staff wishing to upskill or progress their career.  

By applying these insights, we hope the relationship between your apprentice and your company is a successful one, delivering long-term benefits to both the individual and the business.  

Hear first-hand from our employer partners about their Manchester Met degree apprenticeship experience: Click here 

Find out how you can partner with Manchester Metropolitan University to offer degree apprenticeships, helping you to access new talent pipelines and upskill your existing workforce. Click here