It’s National Apprenticeships Week!  During this week, employers and apprentices from across England come together to celebrate the success of apprenticeships whilst encouraging even more people to choose apprenticeships as a pathway to a great career.

Here at Manchester Met, we are a leading provider of Degree Apprenticeships.  To help give you an understanding on what a Degree Apprenticeship entails, we’d like to introduce you to one of our Degree Apprentices. Harry is studying towards a BA(Hons) Business Management degree, as part of the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship.  Alongside studying at Manchester Met, Harry works at Stateside Foods.

Harry, can you tell us more about your Degree Apprenticeship?

My Degree Apprenticeship is a combination of full-time work alongside studying for a fully funded Business Management degree. The degree is over four years and at the end of the programme, alongside gaining a degree, there is the opportunity to achieve a Chartered Management level 5 diploma.  Over the duration of the apprenticeship, we attend university for two days, every three weeks.

Why did you choose to undertake a Degree Apprenticeship?

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after college – whether I wanted to go to university or go into work.  I saw the benefits of both going into full time work and university, so when I found out about degree apprenticeships I decided it would allow me to do both. I’d get the university side of gaining a degree, alongside the four years’ work experience, without any of the university debt.

How did you find out about degree apprenticeships?

I found out about Degree Apprenticeships when I attended a careers event at Manchester Metropolitan University. I then spoke to a representative from Manchester Met about Degree Apprenticeships at a careers event at my college, Cardinal Newman College. I then did some research into who was offering these opportunities and I found Stateside Foods.

What is life like for a Degree Apprentice at Manchester Met?

Life at Manchester Met for a Degree Apprentice is great as you make a real bond with the people who are in your class as you spend all your university time with them. There are social events specifically for apprentices that we have the opportunity to attend so you don’t miss out on the social aspect of university. From an academic viewpoint you are regarded the same as a full time student and get the same access to all of the university’s facilities and support.

What are the challenges of doing a Degree Apprenticeship and how do you overcome them?

The main challenges that I have faced while completing the Degree Apprenticeship is managing a full-time job role, and completing university assignments on time. I have overcome this through working on my time management, which has been helped by attending sessions at university to help plan my time better. This means that I can comfortably get my university assignments completed on time.

Are there any tips or advice that you would give to somebody considering doing a Degree Apprenticeship?

One piece of advice that I would give somebody considering a Degree Apprenticeship would be not to underestimate the amount of time that you have to put into it. However, you do get more out of it, if you are willing to put in the time. I would also say make sure that you take full advantage of all the resources that the university has to offer – there is plenty of support available to you.

For more information on degree apprenticeships at Manchester Met University and news on vacancies and events visit www.mmu.ac.uk/apprenticeships.