Frequently Asked Questions
When will the new guide be available?
The first edition of The Sixth Formers' Guide to Degree Apprenticeships will be produced in Autumn 2024 and will be updated twice during the 2024-2025 academic year — in January and April 2025.
Who is the guide being produced for?
The new guide is being produced for sixth form students, those in Year 12 or Year 13 at schools & sixth form colleges across the UK — and their parents, teachers and careers advisers — to introduce them to the 'earn as you learn', debt-free route to the graduate job market that degree apprenticeships offer.
Why is the guide needed?
There is currently very limited round-the-year information available to sixth form students on which employers offer degree apprenticeships. The new guide will provide an A-Z of employers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have degree apprenticeship programmes, along with the latest information, careers guidance and advice on the employers' application & selection processes.
Which apprenticeships will the guide be promoting?
The guide will focus on degree apprenticeship programmes — those at Level 6 or Level 7 — that provide sixth form students with not just an alternative to going to university, but an equivalent qualification to a traditional university degree.
How will Sixth Form students access the guide?
The guide will be produced as a fully-interactive digital guide that will be available to sixth form students at all 5,500 schools & sixth form colleges across the UK. It will be promoted directly to Heads of Sixth Form, Heads of Careers and Directors of University Admission and by The Careers & Enterprise Company.
Is the guide just aimed at students who are already planning to go to university?
No, the guide will introduce all sixth form students to degree apprenticeships, irrespective of their career plans, and will be especially relevant to those from low income or disadvantaged backgrounds who may be discouraged by the costs and debt associated with a traditional university degree.
How will the guide publicise individual degree apprenticeship employers?
Degree apprenticeship employers in the UK will have the opportunity to book a promotional package for 2024-2025, to publicise degree apprenticeships on offer to sixth form school-leavers in autumn 2025. The promotional packages include a fully-interactive Employer Entry in the digital guide, inclusion in the guide's email service, updates in the twice-termly e-newsletters that accompany the guide, social media posts, and the opportunity to feature in the guide's TV programmes and podcasts.
What social media will be used to support the guide?
The new guide will be featured on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, to promote the latest information about employers' degree apprenticeships, application deadlines and tips & advice for students, parents and teachers.
What are the TV programmes and podcasts that will accompany the guide in 2024-2025?
There will be a termly TV programme and regular podcasts on degree apprenticeships, to bring the very latest news, information and careers guidance to sixth form students, their parents and teachers.
Can employers only promote degree apprenticeship programmes in the guide?
The guide will focus on all 'earn as you learn' degree-level apprenticeships and fully-funded undergraduate degrees. This includes Level 6 degree apprenticeships and Level 7 professional apprenticeships (such as solicitor, journalism, and accountancy & tax professional) in England, graduate apprenticeships in Scotland, degree apprenticeships in Wales, and higher-level apprenticeships in Northern Ireland. Employers can, of course, make reference to their other apprenticeship programmes within their Employer Entry in the guide.
If an employer doesn't open its degree apprenticeship applications until Spring 2025, can it still appear in the guide?
Yes! The guide is designed to provide a year-round resource that sixth form students can use to find out which degree apprenticeships will be available when they leave school or sixth form college. Each Employer Entry within the 2024-2025 guide will include details of when employers' applications will open and close for their 2025 entry — and this information can be updated during the year.
What's the booking deadline to appear in the 2024-2025 guide?
To book your space in the launch edition of the guide, please contact [email protected]. We will be updating the guide regularly throughout the year and employers can get involved at a time that best suits their recruitment activities. Full guidance will be provided to help employers prepare and compile the information needed for their Employer Entry.
How do I find out more information?
Please contact [email protected]