The University of Wolverhampton, part of the West Midlands Combined Universities, has secured an additional £460k funding to deliver training for Degree Apprenticeships to non-levy paying companies.
The allocation of money was approved by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) recently and means that the University can widen its support for local businesses looking to upskill their workforce.
The University is already offering Higher and Degree Apprenticeships in Chartered Management (CMDA), Higher Apprenticeship in Construction Management with pathways for Civil Engineering & Built Environment, Chartered Surveying, Chartered Legal Executive and Healthcare Science Practitioner Degree Apprenticeships.
Future Higher/Degree Apprenticeships will include Digital Technologies, Manufacturing Engineering, Product Design & Engineer, Civil Engineering, Policing, Social Work, Nursing, Nursing Associate and Paramedic Degree Apprenticeships.
Having been awarded £250,000 funding from the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) in 2017 to develop its Apprenticeship offer, over 150 apprentices are already studying for Higher and Degree level qualifications at the University.
Michele Roberts, Head of the Apprenticeship Hub at the University, said: “This is fantastic news for the University and will really help us to build on the work that has already gone into developing our industry-standard Degree Apprenticeships.
“Companies with a wage bill of under £3 million are eligible for 90% funding for Degree Apprenticeships and this additional money will allow us to increase our offer and support more and more businesses looking for Higher/Degree level Apprenticeships for their employees.
“For example, companies will only pay 10% of the course fees, with the other 90% being funded by the government through this allocation. Other incentives will mean that for SMEs with less than 50 employees and who recruit a 16-18 year old the training/course element of the Apprenticeship will be fully funded.”
Companies interested in Degree Apprenticeships should contact the Apprenticeship Hub on 01902 321000 or email: enquiries@wlv.ac.uk.