Digital & Technology Solutions Degree Apprentice (DS19-03)

Staffordshire University is on a journey to become the foremost modern higher education institution in the UK, with an international reputation for excellence, and we are looking for inspirational and effective people to take us to the next stage.

In 2018 we broke in to the World University rankings for the first time and were named as a top 50 UK university by the Guardian. The quality of our student experience has placed us in the top 10 for teaching quality in the Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018 and in 2019  we achieved a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Many of our students come from areas with low rates of participation in higher education and we continually strive to ensure the courses we offer meet the needs of people and employers. We are expanding our non-traditional, flexible study options, particularly in apprenticeships serving the public sector.

We are a university of and for our community: local, national and global. If you share our values and have the skills to deliver our vision, we want to hear from you.

We’ve already taken huge steps in this direction with our approach to Digital Transformation. By utilising cutting edge Cloud based technologies, we’ve developed an innovative new Student Digital Coach (called Beacon) which utilises the building blocks of Artificial Intelligence and we’re also looking at how we can bring huge efficiencies to the University with a modernisation programme within our internal and student facing processes. We should also mention the £40m Catalyst Building Programme which will seek to set our digital ambitions front and centre with a new campus centre. All this work is already helping to transform the teaching and learning environment here, building a truly creative and exciting place not just to study, but to work too. It’s a journey built on perpetual development and positive change though so there’s plenty to do.

As part of this story we need to build new skills to support our future development and Staffordshire University are committed to doing this through some new Degree Apprenticeship opportunities. Our award-winning Digital Services directorate now has a vacancy for a Digital Solutions Apprenticeship, and we need to fill this urgently. If you’re ready to make a difference in Higher Education, be ambitious, brilliant and innovative, we think a Digital Solutions Degree Apprenticeship with Staffordshire University is the way forward and, best of all, you get to earn while you learn…

As a Digital Solutions Apprentice you will not only work full-time in the Digital Services directorate, but you will be enrolled onto our fully accredited BSc (Hons) in Digital & Technology Solutions that we will pay all of the fees for, currently worth at least £25,000 over the duration of the Apprenticeship! We’ll also pay you a starting salary of £20,275 per year along with all of the usual employee benefits:

Competitive incremental rates of PayStarting from 29 days Annual Leave (depending on job grade) plus 11 days Bank Holiday and Discretionary daysExcellent Pension SchemeAccess to continued professional and personal developmentAn opportunity to become part of the wider University communityAccess to an Employee Assistance ProgrammeDiscounted Health & Fitness Facilities on site at the Stoke CampusDiscounted Travel by Rail or Bus, with the option of season tickets loans

You’ll get released from your daytime role to attend block teaching weeks while you’ll also attend online lectures for a few hours a week too (arranged approximately as 80% work, 20% learning). Please take the time to look carefully at the details of the Degree Programme BY CLICKING HERE – you will need to specialise specifically down one of the following four learning paths in this curriculum in order that you can deliver on your job role within Digital Services:

Path 1 – Software Engineer
Path 2 – Cyber Security Analyst
Path 3 – Business Analyst
Path 4 – Network Engineer

You will need to be clear which path you are applying for at outset and why – please note that you will not be able to transfer to any other path later as this will be the basis you are employed upon.

We think this is quite an opportunity, but only for the right people – we won’t pretend that taking on degree level learning whilst employed is easy so you’ll need a strong work ethic, real commitment to get to the end of the 40 month programme and a desire to make a difference. Are you ready to be a top performer? For those that are up to the challenge you’ll be rewarded with a supportive environment, an opportunity to learn skills which are in high demand and the chance to make a difference in our leading Digital University.

In terms of application criteria, we’d ideally like to see some good relevant A Level passes because you must be capable of meeting the degree standard, but equally we’d also like to hear from people who may have equivalent working experience or qualifications.

To apply, please upload your CV together with a covering letter setting out why we should consider you as one of our new Digital Solutions Apprenticeships, taking into account the demands of the programme and the requirements of the role – how do you meet our criteria and what is it that sets you apart? You must state which one of the four available technical paths listed above you wish to work within. Our only other pre-requisite is that you must be ready and available to start work and undertake the degree programme from late January 2020 so time is short - apply now for immediate consideration.

Closing Date: 29 Nov 2019
Type: Apprenticeship