How it works week to week
You're employed full time on a real contract with a real salary and workplace holiday. A portion of your time — commonly around 20%, though it varies — is off-the-job learning: a day a week at university, or block release of a few weeks at a time.
It's demanding. You're holding down a job and a degree simultaneously, and assignment deadlines don't move because work is busy. The people who do well are organised rather than brilliant.
Where they're common
Engineering, digital and cyber, accountancy and finance, business management, construction and the built environment, nursing and healthcare, law, and increasingly data. Large employers and public-sector bodies run the most.
Be realistic about competition
These are among the most competitive positions open to school leavers — a well-known employer can receive hundreds of applications for a handful of places, often more per place than the equivalent university course.
So apply widely and early, and don't treat them as your only plan. Applying to several degree apprenticeships, some Level 3s and a university course in parallel is sensible rather than indecisive.
What the selection process looks like
Usually longer than other apprenticeships: an application form, often online tests (numerical, logical or situational judgement), frequently a recorded video interview, then an assessment centre or final interview.
Start early. Many open in the autumn for the following September and close as soon as they're full, which can be months before the stated deadline.
The short version
- A full degree, paid for, while employed on a real salary
- Roughly a fifth of your time is study — it's demanding, not a soft option
- Common in engineering, digital, finance, construction and healthcare
- Extremely competitive: apply widely and keep other options open
- Applications often open in autumn and close early when full
Common questions
Is the degree the same as a full-time one?
Yes — it's awarded by a university and is the same qualification. The difference is how you studied for it, and that you were being paid at the time.
Do I get student life?
Partly. You'll be on campus and have a cohort, but you won't have terms off or the same amount of unstructured time. Most people find they keep a foot in both worlds.
What if I don't get one?
A Level 3 apprenticeship with a good employer is a strong route to the same place — many people progress onto a degree apprenticeship with their employer's backing a couple of years later.