Every apprentice on an apprenticeship programme should have a mentor in their organisation who is willing and able to engage in regular tripartite reviews with the University to monitor progress and identify suitable workplace development needs and opportunities.
A mentor should provide ongoing informal support and guidance to the apprentice and help them to reflect on their learning and development. In most cases, the apprentice's line manager is their apprenticeship mentor because
they are best placed to understand the requirements of the role and proactively identify any challenges and support requirements. They are also best placed to understand and help manage the time-management challenges which arise
from undertaking a degree whilst in employment. However, it may be the case that someone else in the organisation is best placed to act as a mentor, and there have been many examples of this arrangement working successfully.
Health mentors are also known as practice assessors in certain areas. A health mentor is a registered nurse, nursing associate, midwife or specialist community public health nurse with specialist practice assessor training. They supervise and assess the apprentice. They appraise and confirm the apprentice's achievement of practice learning.
All apprentices must undertake and evidence a minimum of six hours per week off the job training. This is a mandatory part of any apprenticeship in England and needs to be undertaken during contracted working hours. Off the job training is about evidencing new learning such as:
- attending lectures
- research or study during work hours
- work-shadowing
- in-house or other training if it relates to the apprenticeship
- projects, provided by your employer to meet specific evidence requirements
- application of learning into duties
The Apprenticeship Quality Coach can support the apprentice with recording off the job training. For more information, see the
Education and Skills Funding Agency's guidance.
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) are the core attributes of an apprentice, so they are competent in the occupation that they're working in. KSBs are specific to each apprenticeship, and the apprenticeships are designed for apprentices to develop against these specific areas throughout their programme. Competence against KSBs are assessed through end-point assessment (EPA).
Gateway is the point when an apprentice has completed their apprenticeship learning and is ready to be assessed through end-point assessment (EPA). The employer with support of the University identifies that the apprentice has shown competence against the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSBs) and meet specific criteria . Typically, the mandatory elements for gateway achievement include the academic degree, achievement of the KSBs and English and maths requirements.
Apprentices are assessed at the end of their training to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) they have learnt and are applying in their job role. This is called end-point assessment (EPA) and is managed by an End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) which may be the University or an approved external body. EPA is a series of assessments conducted by the EPAO to determine the result of the apprenticeship. Some EPAs require an independent employer expert
Some apprenticeships require a workplace portfolio. The apprentice builds up the portfolio throughout the apprenticeship and it's validated by the employer to show competence against the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs). Teesside University support the apprentice with the workplace portfolio through a number of resources and support sessions.
The Apprenticeship Levy came into effect in April 2017. The levy applies to employers in England who have an annual payroll bill above £3m. Where applicable, the levy is charged at a rate of 0.5% of their annual pay bill. Employers can use funds from the Apprenticeship Levy to pay for apprenticeship training.
Find out more about the Apprenticeship Levy
Employers who don't pay the levy (with a salary bill under £3m), pay only 5% of the cost of the apprenticeship training, with the remaining 95% paid by the government.
A degree apprenticeship is paid for by either the employer or government. If the employer pays into the government's apprenticeship levy then funding can be used from there. If the employer is a non-levy organisation then they may need to meet 5% of the apprenticeship course fee.
Degree apprentices can either be new or existing employees and must:
- be at least 16 years old
- meet the entry requirements for the course
- have the right to work in England
- spend at least 50% of their working hours in England over the duration of the apprenticeship
- be contracted to work a minimum of 30 hours per week
- be paid at least their age-related
Apprentice National Minimum Wage
Yes, graduates can apply for an apprenticeship at the same or a lower level to their degree. The apprenticeship must be significantly different to the degree they already hold to ensure that new skills, knowledge and behaviours are gained. It may be possible to accredit prior learning and reduce the length of the degree apprenticeship. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Degree apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16, who meets the eligibility requirements.
Apprentices can contact our team to discuss their current job role and which degree apprenticeships may be the most suitable for them. We would need to be introduced to a senior member of the organisation before we can progress from here.
Not all degree apprenticeships start in September. We have some apprenticeships starting in January and May, contact our team to find out more.
Before starting a Teesside University apprenticeship, learners must hold Level 2 (GCSEs at grades 9-4 or A*-C, or equivalent) qualifications in English and maths, and be able to provide evidence of this. Without this evidence, learners will be unable to pass through Gateway and complete their apprenticeship. We have found that achieving these qualifications before starting their apprenticeship gives learners the best experience and chance of success.
A list of qualifications accepted as meeting the minimum English and maths requirements is available from the
government website.
