University of Suffolk secures £422,000 for new apprenticeships

The big picture: The Office for Students has allocated £422,000 to the university as part of its Wave 3 degree apprenticeships funding competition. This investment aims to expand the number of providers offering degree apprenticeships and increase learner numbers.

Key details:

• The funding will accelerate the introduction of new Level 6 apprenticeships, equivalent to bachelor's degrees.

• Areas of focus include supply chain leadership, project management, environmental practitioners, and data science.

• The funding does not apply to Level 7 apprenticeships (equivalent to Master's degrees).

Why it matters: The investment will help meet the skills needs of regional employers, including the NHS, and plug talent gaps for regional projects like Freeport East and Sizewell C while supporting local economic growth.

What they're saying:

• Professor Jenny Higham, Vice-Chancellor: "This is great news for the university and evidence of successful partnership working. I am delighted to strengthen our commitment to offering degree apprenticeships."

• Yvonne Malpas, Director of Apprenticeships: "This will allow us to accelerate our growth plan and offer a more inclusive and diverse range of apprenticeship standards to meet the regional skills gaps."

For context: The University of Suffolk has seen growth in its apprenticeship provision in recent years:

• It joined the Centre of Excellence for Health Apprenticeships earlier this year.

• The university ranked fifth nationally for overall apprenticeship achievement rate among small-medium sized providers in 2022/23.

What's next: The new apprenticeship standards are set to launch in 2025. Those interested in the university's degree apprenticeship offerings can visit their website for more information: https://www.uos.ac.uk/business/degree-apprenticeships/