Degree ApprenticeshipsSystems Thinking Practitioner (with option to progress to MBA)
Key facts
Funding: funded by Education Skills Funding Agency
Accreditation: Triple-accredited business school: AMBA, AACSB & EQUIS
Study mode: online with occasional campus visits
Duration: 30 months (not including EPA period)
Degree Apprenticeships at Strathclyde
- dedicated delivery team who listen, understand and work with employers to offer a fully integrated, contextualised degree
- funded study with the opportunity to progress from Undergraduate to Masters and Doctoral levels
- anywhere, anytime learning via our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Myplace, complemented by tailored intensive seminars on campus or an employer’s location
- Degree Apprentices apply knowledge within their work context via a series of bespoke work-based projects
Why this course?
The Level 7 Systems Thinking Practitioners Degree Apprenticeship standard, is mapped with the MBA in Sustainable Energy Futures specialism. The apprenticeship has been developed jointly by Strathclyde Business School and industry partners from the energy sector. The qualification builds on the highly successful Strathclyde MBA and sees leading academics work with industry partners to tackle some of the key issues facing the industry right now. Exploring future trends and development and preparing the workforce of the future.
The programme will help decision-makers to develop a systems-thinking perspective for their organisations, mindful that place-based approaches can support collaborations towards net zero and a just transition towards more resilient communities.
Participants will have the opportunity to work alongside other leaders in their industry, across sectors and siloes, to develop holistic propositions and policies that can create policy change, social impact and social innovation.
Add value to your organisation
We focus on developing your workforce so that they can quickly add value to your organisation. We start with the fundamentals, providing a solid foundation for future learning and helping apprentices become productive.
The course content has been developed in partnership with industry and is designed to equip apprentices with knowledge of contemporary tools and technology. We don’t just focus on tech – our approach to work-based learning helps develop more rounded professionals, with a wide range of soft skills that enable apprentices to contribute widely to your organisation.
A flexible delivery model ensures minimal time away from the workplace, utilising a combination of online learning supported by a series of online tutorials, an annual face-to-face on-campus workshop and work-based learning activity.
This module will enable apprentices to understand multiple perspectives of what constitutes an effective strategic leader. Apprentices will explore and become conversant in methods, thinking and changes to cutting-edge strategic leadership practice.
They'll enhance their professional development network and engage with a broad range of stakeholders. Having taken the module apprentices will be able to identify effective leadership practices for addressing organisational change, risk management and sustainable performance outcomes.
This module is a core building block for the MBA Sustainable Energy Futures. Apprentices will explore the current situation within the energy sector, key concepts, developments and future planning whilst analysing how to build sustainability across the sector.
The module explores the multi-agency approach to sustainably and how to work together to tackle some of the great energy challenges. Apprentices will continue to return to the module’s learning throughout the apprenticeship and ensure that the professional knowledge, skills and behaviours they develop are against the energy landscape.
Having taken this module, apprentices will understand the key organisational implications of macro-economic factors and grand challenges. The module examines macro-economic source data, analysis and trends and their application to organisational decision-making. The module also discusses the characteristics and role of governance in the life of an organisation.
This module will focus on managing organisational behaviour as a leader in an organisation. Apprentices will examine the concept of organisational culture and the extent to which it can be evaluated and purposefully changed including the implementation of innovative methods to deliver workplace change and improvement. Having taken the module, apprentices will be able to critique organisational design approaches.
This module is concerned with the importance of the principles of operations management to the survival and success of organisations. Apprentices will appraise the value of structured approaches to project management to the adaptiveness and strategic relevance of organisations. Having taken the module, apprentices will be able to appraise operational performance using key frameworks, compare and evaluate different project management approaches and evaluate tensions and opportunities for managing change and efficiency in organisations using these approaches.
The focus of this module is on the appraisal of the value of data and access to methods of analysis for organisations. Having taken this module, apprentices will be able to apply problem structuring to organisational situations. Apprentices will be able to source and manage data sets required to generate business intelligence.
This module enables apprentices to discuss, interpret and react to information in financial statements and reports. Having taken the module, they'll be able to explain key accounting and financial management concepts and their application to organisational financial performance. Apprentices will be able to appraise the strategic and operational value of accounting and financial functions to organisational leadership teams and performance.
This module examines the principles, practice and strategic value of marketing management in different contexts. Concepts, issues and strategic value of branding across organisational settings, markets and territories are discussed. Value-creating potential, options, risks and issues for marketing practitioners arising from macro trends in digital, sustainability, globalisation and demographic change are evaluated. Having taken this module, apprentices will be able to appraise the marketing and brand management approach of an organisation and identify strategic marketing and branding initiatives to improve performance.
This module focuses on personal entrepreneurial skills and competencies, the difference between traits and mindsets and the role of growth mindsets in entrepreneurial thinking and action. Apprentices will explore the role of ambiguity and uncertainty in the entrepreneurial journey and their personal responses to these. They'll have the opportunity to identify current frames of reference, communication styles and the relationship between empathy and trust. Understanding their own styles and approaches in order to analyse the impact and role this has on the entrepreneurship of your organisation.
Focusing on digital disruption and digital technological trends, apprentices will explore how to analyse an organisation's digital maturity and readiness to engage in transformation and innovation. They'll develop strategic decision making, business planning and influencing skills in relation to driving, appraising and recommending digital transformation and technological options.
This module explores the unique position of pricing, supply and trading within the energy sector. Apprentices will explore how the product is traded, the impact of multifaceted factors on the pricing of the product and undertake analysis on forecasting for the sector.
This module will enable apprentices to understand the key influencers of profit in a business: production conditions on the supply side and the nature of demand. Apprentices will be able to explain the impact of market structure and competition on profitability, and related impacts on strategic management decision making, appraise the implications of various organisational forms and modes of entry for engagement in international activity and explain the impact of the policy environment on business activity and long term decision making.
During this module apprentices will learn to critique a number of strategic theories and concepts, design and engage with a strategy and scenario planning process to evaluate a range of options for an organisation within the energy sector. They'll explore strategy from a human-centred, inclusive approach and evaluate the impact of this on strategic planning.
The capstone project is the culmination of the learning across the degree apprenticeship. Apprentices will apply their management and strategic leadership knowledge, skills and behaviours to design and carry out an academically informed project to tackle a management project specific to the sector and your organisation.
Entry requirements
Our selection process is designed to identify talented professionals from the Energy and Utilities sector. Students come from a wide range of academic, business and cultural backgrounds and we encourage those who are part of the wider Energy eco-system to apply.
While there are formal requirements for entry listed below, we take into consideration:
- your potential
- your interpersonal and team working qualities
- the range and nature of your managerial experience
In order to assess these skills we ask you outline your experience and aspirations alongside references supporting your work experience and academic record.
We may ask you to undertake a formal interview to discuss your achievements and aspirations. We encourage you to visit the school or centre you’re applying to and to ask as many questions.
Qualifications & experience |
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Competence in English | The programme is highly interactive and requires a high level of competence in English speaking, writing, reading and understanding. A minimum score of 6.5 in IELTS is required for those applicants whose first language is not English. We may consider applicants who fall slightly below these standards if they're willing to undertake pre-sessional study. |
Funding
Degree Apprenticeships are funded by the Education Skills Funding Agency.
Why Strathclyde
Praised for our close links with business and industry as well as our commitment to making an impact on the global economy, the University of Strathclyde has been named The Sunday Times Good University Guide Scottish University of the Year 2020.
The place of useful learning
Strathclyde has also been nominated for The Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2019 University of the Year, been awarded the THE Awards 2014 Entrepreneurial University of the Year and 2016 THE Awards Business School of the Year.
Since our inclusion on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP) in 2017, we have developed a varied portfolio of Degree Apprenticeship programmes for delivery in England.
Apply
To apply for this Degree Apprenticeship please email apprenticeship-degrees@strath.ac.uk.