Degree Apprenticeship programmes at the University of Strathclyde have been praised by education regulator Ofsted, for the quality of their learning and teaching and their close collaboration with employers.
The degree apprenticeships, tailored to meet the specific needs of learners and their employers, are offered to businesses based in, or with a presence in, England. They enable learners to acquire the key skills, qualifications and experience required to develop their career, through a combination of full-time paid work, on the job training and off the job funded university study.
Ofsted found that apprentices developed “confidence and resilience” and “substantial new knowledge, skills, and behaviours” throughout their programmes. Strathclyde lecturers provided them with constructive and detailed feedback following their assessments and enabled them to develop skills in areas such as English and Mathematics.
Apprentices have access to additional meetings with academic mentors, where they received support with their study skills and time management techniques. The programmes have a high retention rate, with many apprentices gaining merits and distinctions for their work.
High-quality experience
Strathclyde is the only university in Scotland offering Degree Apprenticeships, delivering its programmes through virtual learning platforms and making an impact in the English market by offering a high-quality learning experience for both apprentices and their employers.
The Ofsted inspection report states: “Apprentices are committed to their academic and workplace studies. They are motivated to learn and achieve. They respond well to the high expectations set by lecturers and work-based learning advisers for their behaviours and attendance.
“Apprentices acquire an understanding of the ethics, social responsibility, and professional standards relevant to the industrial sectors they work in. They develop the reflective skills required to set their own personal development targets to enable them to progress within their careers.
Leaders and managers have developed ambitious higher degree apprenticeship curriculums that embody the university’s mission to provide ‘useful learning’ in leadership and technological subject areas.
The Ofsted Inspectors congratulated Strathclyde on a consistently strong performance during the inspection and classified the Degree Apprenticeships programmes as being 'Good' in every area. This accomplishment demonstrates the strong collaboration and commitment to excellence that exists between the institution and businesses in the community.
Strathclyde Vice-Principal Professor Scott MacGregor said:
This inspection report from Ofsted is a testimony to the dedication and commitment of our staff, the apprentices and their employers.
“Our lecturers are of a high calibre and this has been matched by the apprentices’ capacity for learning and their employers’ commitment to supporting them on the programmes. As the Ofsted report itself observes, this resonates with Strathclyde’s founding principle of ‘useful learning.’”