To mark the Government’s launch of the new degree apprenticeship leading consulting, technology group, Capgemini hosted an on-campus event with its education partner Aston University to help raise awareness of the benefits of apprentices amongst the West Midland’s small business community.
SME owners and managers from across the region attended the event and heard talks from Professor Helen Higson Deputy Vice Chancellor at Aston University, Rebecca Plant, Head of Apprentice & Graduate Programmes at Capgemini, and Sue Husband, Director of the National Apprenticeship Service.
Capgemini also announced it will recruit 65 students to join the company on Aston’s Degree Apprenticeship Programme in the 2015-2016 academic year. They will spend the entirety of a 4.5-year course in client facing roles spread across Capgemini’s UK offices, developing core technical skills while working towards a full BSc (Hons) degree with Aston University. What’s more, students will be earning a salary without having to pay tuition fees. For more information about it, please visit.
Rebecca Plant from Capgemini said: “Today’s event at Aston University gave us an opportunity to dispel the misconception that apprenticeship programmes are reserved for larger organisations. At Capgemini we fully believe that it is our role to share our expertise with smaller companies and help them to develop their own apprenticeship programmes. Our aim is to enable young people to build the academic and practical skills needed for success in the tech sector and help create the talent needed to boost UK’s digital economy and compete on the global stage.”
National Apprenticeship Service Director, Sue Husband, said: “Degree Apprenticeships are transforming the way in which young people learn. They enable people to receive a degree, awarded by world-class universities that will be held in equal esteem as a traditional full-time undergraduate route – but with the chance to earn from day one.
Reforms are putting employers in the driving seat when it comes to designing apprenticeships and employers will be working with universities to shape the overall degree programme and all aspects of the apprentice’s training. Employers can attract new, high calibre talent and gain the high level skills they need while receiving funding towards the cost of the training. Capgemini’s degree apprenticeship programme will bring about a new generation of highly qualified young people with the skills and qualifications they need to give them a head-start in their chosen profession.”