Rugby coach tries to help university with apprenticeship plan

England’s Rugby World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward is to kick-off a new degree apprenticeship at the University of Wolverhampton.

Sir Clive is heading to the university to attend an event on March 9, coinciding with National Apprenticeship Week.

The university is working with employers and Further Education (FE) colleges to introduce a new Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) in September.

The course will cover all aspects of business, including management, marketing, human resources, finance and operations management as well as equipping apprentices with skills such as entrepreneurship, digital literacy, collaborative working and communication skills.

The university is collaborating with Walsall College, City of Wolverhampton College and BMet to identify businesses that are employing supervisory and management apprentices with a view to promoting the progression pathways that are available to them.

This can benefit both the business but also the apprentice who will gain a degree and professional status through the Chartered Management Institute whilst completing the apprenticeship.

The apprenticeship will be work based with a mixture of blended learning including lectures and distance learning materials as well as in-house company mentors and training support.

The university recently opened an Apprenticeship Hub providing a bespoke and independent venue for potential apprentices, employers and learning providers.

Having recently been awarded £250,000 from the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) the university is developing a range of new Apprenticeship Degrees in a variety of subjects to support local and regional skills needs including Law, Engineering, Digital Technology, Leadership and Management, Policing and Nursing.

Mark Price, Principal Lecturer in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “Our new Degree Apprenticeship is suitable for all ages and will be ideal for new starters or existing employees who want to upskill and get a broader overview of their business.

“The course will offer an outlook across different disciplines of business, preparing individuals for management positions where a wider vision will benefit business growth and innovation.”