Graduate
Apprenticeships
- A new way
to work, learn
and earn
E
MPLOYEES FROM A DIVERSE range of organisations
have been delighted to be part of QMU’s first
Graduate Apprenticeship programme which is
allowing people to learn while they earn.
Eighteen employees from retail, construction, engineering,
recruitment, childcare and third sector organisations were
the first to embark on QMU’s new BA (Hons) Business
Management (Graduate Apprenticeship) course. The four-year
programme, run by the Queen Margaret Business School,
offers an alternative to full-time university study and provides
benefits for employees and employers in Scotland.
Students on the course can study for a degree while
continuing with their employment. For students, it’s a practical,
integrated way to launch a new career or develop expertise
with their current employer. Employers benefit from having
highly skilled, more motivated and ambitious business
managers of the future, and students are able to apply their
learning to current working situations or new projects.
This style of learning can be well suited to a range of
employers who may find it useful as a way of developing
and retaining staff. It can ensure that employees challenge
their own thinking and that of their organisation, as well as
having the opportunity to learn from academics and other
students on the course.
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QMYOU / Sustainable Business
Dr Andrew Bratton, Programme Leader for QMU’s Graduate
Apprenticeships, explained: “Studying through our Graduate
Apprenticeship in Business Management will boost students’
professional development and employability. They will study
the same core modules as full-time business management
students, covering core management areas such as marketing,
business law, research methods and strategy. There will also
be work-based learning modules throughout the degree,
allowing them to complete projects designed to support their
employer’s business goals and objectives.
“It really is a win-win situation for both employers and
employees with organisations gaining engaged, motivated
staff and employees working towards a degree qualification
without the financial strains associated with a traditional
university route.”
Projekt 42, a community gym and social enterprise aiming
to tackle poor mental health in Edinburgh, was keen to invest
in the education and progression of its staff and has two
team members on the Graduate Apprenticeship programme.
Founder Sara Hawkins wanted to encourage staff to learn new
skills and gain the confidence to take on new roles within the
charity. Full-time studio managers, Daisy Tulloch, and Matthew
Whale, now graduate apprenticeship students, initially joined
the organisation as volunteers before taking on paid roles in
2018.
Commenting on the new workplace apprenticeship
programme, Sara said: “Through our work with QMU we are
now in the unique position of being able to offer Projekt 42
staff the opportunity to complete a fully funded degree, while
still taking home their normal salary.”
Dr Bratton concluded: “I’m pleased to work with Projekt 42
graduate apprentices, and all of the other apprentices on our
programme, to help them grow and develop into effective
organisational leaders.” ❒
“
I t really is a win-win situation for both employers
and employees with organisations gaining engaged,
motivated staff and employees working towards a
degree qualification without the financial strains
associated with a traditional university route.”