News & Resources

Ford supports new degree apprenticeship programme in technology

2 Feb 2015

Ford will be among the first UK employers to develop and offer a new government-backed degree apprentice programme to A-level school leavers seeking an alternative to the traditional university route.

Ford is continuing its long-standing commitment to providing apprenticeships through the development of this new degree programme, which provides theoretical and practical education in the digital and software field.

Ford has introduced its own Higher Apprenticeship programmes over the last two years, designed to encourage a new generation of engineers and professionals into the automotive industry, providing a full degree-level qualification with high-quality training in a range of engineering skills. Ford introduced its own Higher Apprenticeship in IT in September 2014.

This programme provides a path towards a Batchelor of Science (BSc Hons.) degree in IT Management for Business (ITMB), and is delivered with the University of Greenwich.

The new programme will be developed by Ford, along with other leading technology employers and top universities. The government will subsidise some tuition costs and fees, while employers taking part in the scheme will provide undergraduates with an opportunity to ‘earn and learn’ through a paid apprentice role with practical training.

These new IT degree apprenticeships will be available at a number of universities across the UK, including Loughborough, one of the original universities selected by Ford to participate in the Blue Oval Scholarship programme.

In recognition of its commitment to apprenticeship programmes, Ford has been listed among the City & Guilds Top 100 Apprentice Employers for 2014 – the fourth successive year that Ford has made the list. This follows earlier success in 2014, having been named as the South East regional winners of the Macro Employer of the year in the 2014 National Apprenticeship Awards.

Tessa Hougham, Ford Apprenticeship Manager, said: “Ford’s Advanced and Higher apprenticeship programmes have produced some of the UK’s best engineers and innovators, and we’re proud to be among the first to support these new Government-backed apprenticeships in the digital sector.”

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