Employer sponsored degrees
Sponsored-degrees are school leaver programmes offered by companies which allow you to get a degree, debt free. In recent years there has been a shift from traditional employer-sponsored degrees toward employers offering Degree Apprenticeships. Both routes provide the student with work experience and the opportunity to work towards a debt-free degree, while the employer gains a skilled employee who is ready to join the workforce after graduation.
Employer-sponsored degree
For the employer-sponsored degree a company pays for the student to complete their degree. They may study full or part time while working for the company in the holidays or alongside study, that may or may not include a salary. The terms may vary from employer to employer, so you need to check what the expectations are.
Degree apprenticeships
With Degree Apprenticeship apprentices are employed by a company and combine full time paid work with part time fully funded university study (usually a day a week) and they will earn a salary throughout the programme.
What you get from a sponsored-degree/Degree Apprenticeship
- Financial support: Employers may cover all or part of your tuition fees, and many provide a salary.
- Work experience: You gain valuable, real-world work experience that is directly relevant to your studies.
- Debt-free graduation: Many programs allow you to graduate without student debt.
- Career head-start: Many sponsored degrees guarantee a job upon graduation and provide a significant advantage in the job market.
- Mentorship and support: You often receive professional guidance and support from the sponsoring company.
How it works
- Application: For a sponsored degree, you apply for both a university course and the sponsorship program, sometimes separately. Click here to find out more about applying for a degree apprenticeship.
- Agreement: You might be asked to sign an agreement with the company, which outlines the terms of your employment and sponsorship/apprenticeship.
- Schedule: You typically divide your time between university study and work with the company.
Things to consider
- Commitment: You might be obligated to work for the sponsoring company upon graduation and may have to repay them if you leave the program early, read the small print! Degree apprenticeships can take from 1-6 years to complete, so its worth checking this.
- Limited choice: Your choice of university and subject may be predetermined by the company's needs.
- Suitability: You need to feel comfortable about the type of work this might lead to, not just your choice of degree.
- Lifestyle: While other students are going out to late-night parties and having long holidays, you might be working for the company and studying at the same time. - but the upside is you will be being paid and you will be getting a degree without a student debt!
Finding an opportunity
You can search online for employer-sponsored degrees or look at Degree Apprenticeships
You can also check out the opportunities on relevant employer's websites.
You could, of course, take a chance and get in touch with a company direct even if they are not advertising. If you impress them with your CV and covering letter, you might just get an offer!
Some of the more vocational degree courses such as engineering or business-related courses often have more opportunities.
Here are a few examples of employers offering sponsored-degrees/Degree Apprenticeships:
- Accountants and professional services firm KPMG has a training scheme for sixth form/college leavers.
- Capgemini offers a range of degrees through a Higher Apprenticeship
- The Merchant Navy, the commercial shipping industry carrying goods and passengers worldwide, has a range of sponsored opportunities
- CGI offers a range of Degree Apprenticeships.
Not Going to Uni shows some vacancies and opportunities for sponsored Degree and Higher Apprenticeships
The Student Ladder site has:
- Information on over 2500 Work Placements, Graduate Schemes & Internship opportunities for students aged 16-24
- Over 100 School Leaver Programmes for those not going to university
Expect high levels of competition — after all, the company will be investing a lot of money in your training and these are highly sought-after positions!