Degree apprenticeships are an exciting new way to combine academic study with work-related, practical experience which is crucial for employers.

One of the degree apprenticeships that we offer at University Centre Weston (UCW) is the BSc (Hons) Degree in Digital and Technology Solutions. This has been developed with UWE Bristol, and delivers four of the pathways which have been developed for the Digital and Technology Solutions Degree including cyber security, software engineer, business analyst and data analyst.

To get the low down on this course, and how the apprenticeships are helping our students, we spoke with two of our apprentices…

Dave Rose, who studies the Digital and Technology Solutions degree-level apprenticeship at UCW, said: “With the degree apprenticeship I was given the opportunity to have one day out of work a week, while my pay and benefits stayed the same for my job that I had already been in for quite a while.

“This has given me a great chance to upskill and as long as I put the work in I can walk away with a full honours degree all with no student loan or debt. I think that is an absolutely incredible deal, it’s almost ridiculous and anyone who can should jump at that opportunity!”

Tommy Beaton, UCW degree apprentice, said: “My course covers a large part of IT and allows me to learn a lot of the skills required to do my job.”

There is a stigma around apprenticeships that apprentices don’t get stuck in with real life tasks, however this is not the case. Tommy said: “I am working for the College and I’m currently helping to develop online courses for distance learners. I am also building a coaching and mentoring course for our online platform, 'TIDE'.

“I've always wanted to be in a working environment as I find that's when I learn best, so to be able to work on real projects allows me to be creative and learn a lot too. It's an excellent opportunity and not one I was willing to turn down.

"This apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to develop my team working skills, instructional design and website development.”

It has become an increasingly popular choice to choose an apprenticeship over a degree in recent years with apprenticeship participation at a record high.

Interested?

You can find out more about becoming a degree apprentice over on the University Centre Weston website.

Degree apprenticeships are increasingly used to upskill existing employees using this industry approach.If you’d like more information about how degree apprenticeships can support your business please contact our Training Solutions team on 01934 411 594.

Hi! I’m Chris. I work in the Weston College Marketing department as an apprentice. I’m eighteen and I am loving my apprenticeship. For National Apprenticeship Week, I’m going to be talking about the exciting benefits of being an apprentice. 

I started my apprenticeship back in early September after successfully making it to interview and then completing the interview process. On the first day I was very nervous, I hadn’t worked in an office environment before but my mind was soon put to ease as everyone was really friendly and offered any help and support that I needed. It was exciting to meet my team and they are always there to give me any guidance I require which helped me to settle in quickly and make friends. 

One reason that I decided to become an apprentice was because I was excited by the opportunities that I could get within my company that I could use to kick-start my career. More and more companies are valuing real world experience and an apprenticeship is the perfect way to get this while still learning new skills and techniques through my College course. I was worried about the cost of university and so I began to look into alternatives. I found with apprenticeships that instead of paying to learn (and racking up a worrying debt) I could earn a salary and have my course paid for at the same time by getting an apprenticeship.

Some of the highlights of my apprenticeship so far have been the events that I have helped to organise. These are quite difficult to get right as you have to be very careful to not miss anything since often, quite a small problem can make a whole event go wrong! However, when the event is done it is very satisfying to know that I have done well. Some of the skills that I have learnt include professional writing, effective administration among many others. These skills have enabled me to become more involved in team activities. Professional writing has boosted my communication skills and administration has enabled me to help my team with fundamental aspects of marketing. Since I am hoping for a career in marketing, this is vital life experience that I can use to gain employment in the future.

I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who is looking to boost their chances for the future! They combine real world experience seamlessly with an excellent College course. I find that learning on your feet in a true work environment is the best way to gain practical experience that can then be applied in a business context. Some of the incredible experiences that I have gained include business fairs, planning my own events and I have many more planned for the future. Apprenticeships are a great way to get on the job ladder with a wide range of local and national companies pledging to hire. 
 

What is anxiety? It's a word so commonly used within the student population and yet most people can't pinpoint exactly what anxiety is.

We all feel anxious from time to time and, surprisingly, this can actually be a good thing, depending on how you respond to it. Anxiety is the mind's way of telling us the stuff that we aren't aware of knowing - your gut instinct if you like. It's the message that tells you not to laugh in a situation where it wouldn't be appropriate. The voice that says "Change that and do this instead!"

Anxiety can also heighten our focus, more than ever throughout exam season; it's your body's way of raising your arousal, by means of adrenaline, thus sending all of your fighting power to attaining your goals and focusing your sights on success.

Did you know that the physiological and biochemical responses to an event that is incredibly scary are the exact same responses to those you feel when you are loved up and happy? So, the next time you feel anxious about an exam, or a social situation, focus on the way you are responding to the anxiety. Try to use it to your advantage and tell yourself that it is only your body behaving in the right way because you are excited, or you want to achieve your very best in the upcoming test. Turn it on it's head and find the ways that anxiety could benefit you!

Try going for a short run or doing some exercise - you'll be surprised at the positive benefits it can provide.

We are going to spend the next few weeks focusing on Anxiety and the "Mind Matters" sessions that take place every Monday in the LibraryPlus and Bistro at Knightstone and Loxton Campus will be tailored specifically towards anxiety - come along and find out more.

Our Welfare Team is at each campus and can offer confidential and unjudgemental advice, support and guidance, or if you want to talk to someone outside of term time, you can visit www.bigwhitewall.com. The service is free to all students at the College using your @weston.ac.uk email address. Here you can explore a whole toolbox of ways to deal with anxiety and many other issues.