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Vocational
learners
More and more apprentices are now going on
to study higher-level qualifications. There are a range of options, depending
on the type of qualification and the mode of study.
The qualifications include:
- Vocational training, leading to NVQ levels 4
or 5. These are common in accountancy or insurance. These higher-level
NVQs are professional qualifications leading to membership of the
relevant Association or Institute.
- BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC), which
is often linked to engineering and construction. HNCs are equivalent to
the first year of a degree course.
- BTEC Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) are
common in a number of occupational areas, including management. An HND
can also lead on to one or two years' further study for a full degree,
depending on the subject.
- Foundation Degrees are a new sort of degree,
developed especially to include work-based learning. They can be studied
on a full-time or day-release basis and can be topped-up to an Honours
Degree by further study.
- Honours Degrees are the “traditional” HE
qualifications, usually taking three years, but can take up to six years
depending on the subject. Some are available as ‘sandwich’ courses, with
a whole year spent on work experience after the first 2 years of study, with
the final year back in the university.
- There are two other degree-level
qualifications available, the Certificate in Higher Education and the Diploma
in Higher Education. These are sometimes taken by those in health-related
occupations, nursing and social care.
Modes of study include:
- Applicants for full time higher education will
need to ensure that the Advanced Apprenticeship qualification is
accepted by the university or college for the chosen subject.
- Full-time student will be able to get a
student loan to assist with costs, such as the course fees and
subsistence costs.
- More than 40% of students in higher education
are studying on a part-time basis; students can continue to earn a wage,
and non-repayable grants are now available to help with the costs of
fees. The grants are means tested on the student’s own wage.
Useful links
Yorkshire
Apprentice Forward Linking apprenticeships to higher education
Consortium
for Learning apprenticeships page
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