b'Partner News Summer 2022 11AcademicInvestment in staff has been key to thisI have learnt that Im a lot more flexibleHazel Rounthwaite, Head of Work-growth, and the organisation is committedand adaptable than I thought I was. IBased Learning at the University of to continuously upskilling its people. would certainly recommend others do anSunderland, said: We put employer apprenticeship, he said. engagement at the forefront of what we James, who began working at Sterlingdo. All our apprenticeships are developed four years ago as a technician, said: IA record number of employers acrossin collaboration with a wide range of have always been someone who wants tothe country have now signed up to theemployers to ensure they are filling the continuously develop myself, and I believeUniversity of Sunderlands Higher andskills gap, business needs and guaranteeing that knowledge is the best thing you canDegree Apprenticeship Programmes,currency. have, and the more you learn, the better youworking in partnership to develop a highly can become. skilled workforce thriving into the future. Apprenticeships are a fantastic vehicle for enabling employers to access a wider After leaving school, obtaining a degree wasSince launching in 2016 with just a handfultalent pool and provide skills development always in James mind. He explains: Whenof employers, the university scheme hasfor existing employees. It is ideal as funding I looked into the degree apprenticeshipgrown year-on-year. Now partnering withis available to cover tuition fees, and an opportunity that Sterling and the Universitymore than 100 organisations, the universityapprentice employee can earn when they of Sunderland were providing, I realised howoffers 15 degree-level apprenticeshiplearn.beneficial it would be. It was a no-brainer toprogrammes across different sectors and work full-time, develop my skills and study job roles. Tony Ikwe, Director of Enterprise and while getting paid. Innovation at the University of Sunderland, Apprenticeships are job-role specific andadded: Michael Douglas, Senior Lecturer ininvolve a range of work-based projects Engineering at the University of Sunderland,which allow learning to be applied directlyOur higher and degree apprenticeship said: James was a dedicated and motivatedto business. provision has gone from strength to apprentice who consistently achieved a first- strength. We now offer 15 apprenticeship class grade profilehe was also a Despite the impact of the pandemic overprogrammes across a wide range of sectors, well-respected member of the cohort. the last two years, our apprentices havewith more being developed. Our close continued making contributions to theengagement with employers has helped He added: The degree apprenticeshipsuccess of workplaces in areas such asthem extend apprentice opportunities and programmes continue to grow by workinghealth, technology, engineering, educationbuild the knowledge and skills essential to with local industry. It helps to developand business leadership, helping employersbusiness growth in the region. employees into motivated, qualified andadapt and grow.successful engineers. The UniversityTo find out more about higherhas a good relationship with SterlingFunding the futureand degree apprenticeships at Pharma Solutions and values the industrialApprenticeships are levy-funded if anthe University of Sunderland, visit experience that each apprentice brings toorganisation is a levy payer or, for smallersunderland.ac.uk/study/higher-and-the programmes. businesses, the Government contributesdegree-apprenticeships95% towards the tuition fees. It is also a Brett Sharkey, Learning and Developmentgreat opportunity for employers to attract Business Partner at Sterling, said: In thetalent to their business, train staff and see a time we have worked with the Universityreturn on investment. of Sunderland, they have provided great support to our apprentices.This degree apprenticeship gives employees an opportunity to step up; it also allows our organisation to carefully consider succession planning and address the skills shortage we face today, industry wide. It enables us to support, train and nurture our managers of the future. He added: We are delighted by James progression since joining us. Hes incredibly motivated, and the work he did as part of his dissertation has helped in our continuous improvement projects.So, what advice does James have for others thinking about an apprenticeship?'