Degree apprenticeships combine work with a leading company or organisation and completing a degree. The company pays you a salary and also pays the university tuition fees. At the end of the programme, you have industry experience and a degree. The Student Ladder website gives an excellent overview.
If your career path and intended area of study are closely related then it might suit you. Engineering, computing, finance, accounting, advertising, computing, television production are some of the fields where degree apprenticeships are offered. These are a growing field and many people are now looking to train and work so that their employability skills are increased.
Applications are made with individual companies and organisations online. A-level grades ranging from ABB to CCC are a common academic requirement. Phone interviews, face to face interviews and psychometric testing can form part of the process.
These programmes are completely independent of UCAS. You can apply for a normal university place through UCAS and additionally apply for any number of degree apprenticeships. You can then choose which path you want to follow.
Each organisation has a different approach. Look through the selection below to get a sense of the range of opportunities available and then start researching your area of interest. Remember that all large organisations have generic business needs such as finance, legal support and project management etc in addition to those functions specific to their own core activity.
The Student Ladder
AllAboutSchoolLeavers.co.uk
www.thebigchoice.com
www.notgoingtouni.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/apprenticeships-further-education/