There are many benefits to universities and businesses working together. Higher and Degree Apprenticeships are a great addition to the mix.
Mike Capaldi is Newcastle University's Dean of Innovation and Business. After a three decades of working in industry, he moved to the university sector. Here he discusses how degree apprenticeships are a great addition to university-industry relationships.
Many reasons to work together
"I love working at the interface between universities and business.
“Relationships between us and companies work for a whole host of reasons: recruiting graduates, collaborating with our researchers, and licensing our intellectual property to facilitate growth.
"In addition, we are often entrusted with the continued development of companies' employees CPD courses and, now, degree apprenticeships.”
"Newcastle University has its roots deeply embedded in industry having been founded as an educational institution by the pioneers of the Industrial Revolution in the North East of England. This mindset remains central to our thinking today, where engagement with businesses is one of the core pillars of our strategy."
Investment in staff training benefits the whole company
"We know that you are keen to make your business as successful as possible and we believe that through working with you to develop Degree Apprenticeships that meet your specific needs, we can contribute towards your success."
According to Shift Learning, companies that offer comprehensive training programmes have 218% higher income per employee than companies without formalised training. Not only that, but these companies also enjoy a 24% higher profit margin than those who spend less on training.
"Quality, in-house training programmes can help to reduce costs by developing your current workforce and reducing the need to hire new staff. This has the added benefit of increasing staff retention, building loyalty, and hopefully avoiding the lengthy and expensive process of replacing a team member that leaves."
Develop employees with skills to match your business needs
"We believe that by working with you, we can deliver employees with capabilities and skill sets that match your business needs. By jointly developing a skills programme that meets your needs, you effectively grow your own employees with the invaluable workplace experience that offers an alternative model to orientation and training programmes aimed at integrating new graduates into your organisation."
We are keen to increase our Degree Apprenticeship offering with the aim of becoming one of the key providers in the North East and so we welcome enquiries from all employers interested in working with us."
What Higher and Degree Apprenticeships do we offer already?
Our current Higher and Degree Apprenticeships cover a range of disciplines:
- Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship
- Level 5 Operations or Departmental Manager Higher Apprenticeship
- Digital and Technology Solutions MSc with specialisms in:
- Data Analytics
- Cyber Security
- Software Engineering
Next steps
For more information, download our e-book on how businesses can benefit from degree apprenticeships. Alternatively, get in touch with our Apprenticeships team on the email address below to find out more about the options available.
apprenticeships@newcastle.ac.uk
