The University of Bolton, Greater Manchester’s apprenticeship team celebrates £344k award from OfS

Staff at the University of Bolton, Greater Manchester are celebrating after being awarded £344,000 to help improve access to higher education.

The University’s Central Apprenticeship Team submitted a successful bid for funding to the Office for Students (OfS).

The money will pay for a new ‘Entry to HE Apprenticeship Programme’ (EHEAP) targeting care experienced learners, carers, and those in areas of multiple deprivation.

Some will also be used to fund the development of a suite of new level 6 apprenticeships - Public Health Practitioner, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Registered Nurse Degree (NMC 2018), Youth Worker.

The award of £344,420 was part of a third wave of investment of £14 million from the OfS to increase the number of Level 6 degree apprenticeships in England.

It will provide support for 146 degree apprenticeship programmes at 33 universities and colleges across the country.

The Central Apprenticeship Team submitted the bid in conjunction with the University’s Schools of Health and Society and Nursing and Midwifery to widen participation for learners and prepare them for a degree apprenticeship in the health and care sectors.

Jo Hornby, Head of Apprenticeships at the University of Bolton, Greater Manchester, said the degree apprenticeships would “provide opportunities for those who would not have been able to access higher education or degree apprenticeships”.

She said: “We are delighted to have been successful in this bid which we believe will give more people opportunities they may not otherwise have had, to study at university and to ‘earn as they learn’.

“Our desire is for our students to achieve the success that they deserve and which will equip them for their future life as successful global citizens, including having the life skills to secure graduate-level employment and to prepare them for their future career.”

John Blake, Director for Fair Access and Participation at the OfS, said: “Since we launched this degree apprenticeships fund last year, I have been particularly pleased to see how universities and colleges have prioritised recruiting and supporting students from all backgrounds.

“Degree apprenticeships are an essential way into higher education for students who may not have followed a traditional route and are also of huge benefit to local and regional communities and economies.”

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said: “This government’s mission is to break down barriers to opportunity, which is why we are funding the expansion of Level 6 degree apprenticeships so people who might not otherwise get a university degree have a route into rewarding careers.”

Jo said: “Students are at the heart of everything we do, we are dedicated to enable them to thrive and achieve success.”

Anyone interested in the degree apprenticeships, which are due to start early in 2025, should contact: apprentices@bolton.ac.uk