Degree Apprenticeships are a Foundation, not a Finished Product

There are now 11 applicants for every degree apprenticeship place in England, up from 3 just three years ago, according to government data. That competition isn’t surprising. Degree apprenticeships are great foundations for young people to gain hands on experience for future roles, while earning both a degree and a wage – as university costs rise, that offer only looks more compelling.

However, while HR heads and hiring managers say they would like to hire more apprentices, doing it properly can be expensive. The problem is compounded by how quickly the skills businesses need continue to evolve. According to the World Economic Forum, 59% of the global workforce will need reskilling or upskilling to stay relevant, and employers can’t be certain that the qualifications agreed at the start of an apprenticeship will keep pace with these changing needs. For degree apprenticeships to become a success, they need to be treated exactly as any other employee, with continuous learning built in from day one.

Funding is only half the battle

As the opportunity to earn while you learn becomes more attractive to young people, the challenge is making sure the number of opportunities can keep pace with that demand. Degree apprenticeships can be expensive for employers, and economic uncertainty makes employers cautious about recruiting at any level.

Government support helps here. Employers who don’t pay the apprenticeship levy are able to claim up to £2,000 for each new apprentice they hire, aged 16 to 24. The Jobs Guarantee Scheme goes further, offering six months of fully funded work for 18-24 year olds who have spent 18 months looking for work. This means that young people are getting bespoke, tailored routes tackling the barriers keeping them from entering the workplace, while some of the cost pressure is taken off the employer.

However, investing in an apprentice goes beyond funding and salary. It includes the time spent developing someone at the beginning of their career, which can be particularly difficult during busy seasons for a business, or when a team is already stretched. But that investment can deliver significant long-term benefits: stronger engagement, better retention and a pipeline of employees who understand the organisation inside out. The time employers dedicate to mentoring and management is often what turns an apprenticeship into a long-term career. Employers should make this a planned responsibility, appointing a designated mentor and building the time into their workload rather than expecting someone to volunteer time around their existing responsibilities.

Tailoring the apprenticeship standard

Formal standards provide the foundation, but employers can add their practical, organisation specific skills that make an apprentice effective. This gives businesses the opportunity to shape emerging talent around the skills they will need in the future, rather than competing for fully trained candidates in an increasingly tight labour market.

Entry level roles, including apprenticeships, need to be designed around what skills will matter over the next decade: digital fluency, judgement, curiosity and the ability to use AI and automation tools.

Formal standards cannot evolve at the same pace as the workplace. Apprenticeship standards are currently developed by employer groups, approved centrally and delivered by colleges and employers, but they are not reviewed on a fixed timetable. Apprentices are assessed against the standard in place when they begin, rather than the one most relevant when they finish. On a four-year degree apprenticeship, that could mean completing the programme in 2026 against an occupational curriculum agreed in 2021, creating a skills gap before the apprentice has even graduated.

This is why employer-led development is so important. The formal standard provides the educational foundation, while the business keeps the learning relevant to the work itself.

Ensuring continuous learning in the workplace

MHR’s research found that 70% of UK decision makers expect to reskill more than half their workforce by 2035. Even employees who are trained and established in their roles will need dedicated time to learn and adapt as the workplace evolves. The same is true for apprentices: their qualification provides a strong foundation, while ongoing training helps them continue to grow. The advantage for employers is that they are developing someone who has already demonstrated a willingness to learn and build a career with the organisation.

In practice, that means building a continuous culture of learning in the workplace by embedding professional development and upskilling directly into everyday work rather than treating it as an annual event. This also means knowledge moving in both directions, from senior leaders to apprentices and back up. Apprentices may also bring familiarity with emerging digital tools, while experienced colleagues contribute organisational knowledge and judgement.

What businesses can do now

Degree apprenticeships are a good way to get young people into the workforce, developing talent with the organisation’s future needs in mind. While government support is helpful to offset some of the costs, the onus is on the employer to make sure that the time is set aside to deliver quality apprenticeships and build a culture where learning doesn’t stop once the qualification is signed off.

The apprenticeship is the foundation of someone’s development, not the ceiling. Employers are responsible for building on it with the specialised training and practical experience that make someone effective in the role. By providing meaningful work, structured development and a clear path to progression, businesses can give young people a strong start while building the skilled, loyal workforce they will need for the future.

By Jeanette Wheeler, Chief People Officer, MHR