Advantages of new type of degree in spotlight

A business breakfast at Dundee University this month will outline the advantages of graduate apprenticeships to companies and employees.

Graduate apprenticeships provide a new way of learning to degree-level for employees at any stage of their career, combining work-based learning and high quality education.

In September, Dundee University will offer 90 graduate apprenticeship opportunities across six subjects, in conjunction with Skills Development Scotland and with support from European Social Fund.

The university’s industrial liaison officer for graduate apprenticeships Kirsty Scott said: “Graduate apprenticeships are a new type of degree being offered by University of Dundee.

“The programme sees businesses and public-sector employers nominate employees, who are provided with a combination of workbased learning and high quality education, enabling both employers and students to benefit in a number of ways.

“Dundee University’s graduate apprenticeship programme will grow considerably for the forthcoming academic year.

“Funding has been made available for almost 900 graduate-level apprenticeship opportunities across Scotland as part of the expansion of the Scottish Government’s Modern Apprenticeship programme.”

The university’s apprenticeship subjects are IT management for business, IT software development, engineering design and manufacture, civil engineering, engineering: instrumentation, measurement and control and business management.

The business breakfast, which takes place on April 17 at the Queen Mother Building from 8.30am to 10.15am, will have a focus on IT management and software development.

Speakers at the event include Brian Hermiston of Skills Development Scotland, Dr Angela Miguel, a lecturer in IT management and Dr Chi Onyekaba, a lecturer in software development.

A business breakfast at the university in May will focus on business management.

Those taking part in graduate apprenticeships could be professionals who have no formal education and are keen to progress, or non-technical employees moving into IT, software development or engineering.