Degree Apprenticeships Celebrated

Apprenticeships have become a favoured option for many, with degree apprenticeships being offered nationally. To celebrate the recent National Apprenticeship Week, we have been looking at the offer of an apprenticeship compared to a traditional degree and how this may benefit some pupils and match their career aspirations.

Amari Hussey Lawal (CO23) has taken a Degree Apprenticeship at PA Consulting in London. We recently caught up with Amari to find out how he has been getting on in his new position.

“I believe my interest always existed in a practical sense of Software Engineering and Tech. At my company PA Consulting I have had the opportunity to work in Cybersecurity, Backend and Fullstack development (C#,Java) for corporate and government organisations. The degree supports the work nicely with modules specific to the work I am doing and a bonus of no student debt. My career aspirations are in research for new business technology. I was always interested in research specifically, but believed I wanted a bit more control. I hope to keep learning the relevant skillsets and growing my network in larger companies, maybe in the UK, Europe or America. We’ll see where the wind takes me”.

For all further education and job application, it may take a number of submissions or interviews to secure a role. Our Truro School Sixth Form Team offers pupils specialist advice when it comes to making applications and preparing for interviews. For students looking to apply to University Mr Williamson and Mrs Richards are specialists, Mrs Jupp is on hand for advice on International applications and Ms Selvey is our in-house specialist for Oxbridge applications. For those interested in Apprenticeships or Degree Apprenticeships, Mrs Kenward, Head of Careers, can offer valuable support, loads of experience and advice to pupils and parents.

Amari offers words of advice to his peers: “From my experience applying for the Degree Apprenticeship – technical skills are great but it seemed they were more interested in communication skills. Good communication and being a pleasant person to work with is what helped me with the applications. It can be quite competitive so don’t lose interest. It took me 10-20 applications to secure the position I am in now. For anyone interested, it is worth taking your time and be persistent, it will work out. Good Luck to all that are applying for roles”.

The great thing about Degree Apprenticeships, is that employees are paid a salary whilst they work and learn on the job. Truro School itself is an Apprenticeship Employer, offering roles in various departments across the school.

Emily Hannah, HR Advisor for Truro School, explained why they are so valuable to us as an employer.

“Truro School is proud to be an apprenticeship employer and recognises the importance of apprentices to foster growth and development both for the individual and for the School. Currently, we have apprentices in our Gardens and Grounds team, our Finance team, our Front Office team, and in Marketing and Admissions.  We are delighted many of these individuals have gone on to secure permanent roles with us. Having apprentices in the workplace offers new perspectives and fresh ideas for the team they join, as well as allowing individuals to develop specific skills and knowledge needed in the workplace.

Learning and development are at the heart of Truro School, for both pupils and staff, and apprentices quickly become valuable members of the staff body as we support them gain new knowledge and learn new skills, with a mix of formal study and hands-on experience in a real work setting.

Apprenticeships at Truro School are underpinned by our values of curiosity, creativity, compassion, courage, and confidence. We encourage our apprentices to ask questions and explore new ideas, to think outside the box; they are mentored by experienced individuals who encourage them to face challenges head-on, knowing they are fully supported by their team and as their experience grows, they gain both tools and confidence to succeed in their careers. We are proud of all our apprentices, past and present and thank them for their important contribution to the Truro School staff team.”

On the 18^th March we will be hosting our Truro School Careers Convention, where there will be many opportunities for pupils in 3^rd year and above to discuss their career options with various industry professionals and teaching staff. Cornwall Hub has confirmed that it will join us on this date to discuss apprenticeships, and there will be a dedicated break-out session. Cornwall College will also be joining us, to advise on the opportunities they have available.

Over the two terms, we have welcomed guest speakers from the BBC, iMail Comms and Specsavers to discuss Apprenticeship opportunities for our pupils, and there are many opportunities advertised through our Team’s pages.  Mrs Kenward facilitates the Team “Careers Advice and Industry Talks”  where 3^rd Year to Upper Sixth pupils can find out more about career discussions in school and events off campus. She is currently excited about two great opportunities with excellent salaries,  that may be suitable for upper Sixth applicants.

Kier: Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship – to join Natural Resources, Nuclear and Networks based in Roche, Cornwall, working towards a Level 6 apprenticeship in Civil Engineering. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a leading construction and infrastructure services company on an apprenticeship. Whilst working towards a recognised qualification and putting your learnings into practice in a day-to-day role, helping to progress within your chosen career. Wage: £19,000 per annum. Closing Date for applications: 23/03/2025.

Government Recruitment Service:  BSc Level 6 Chartered Surveyor Apprentice- A fully funded BSc Level 6 Chartered Surveyor Apprenticeship. An integrated programme of work and learning provides valuations and property advice, property inspections, drawing, scaling, and analysing property plans, as well as researching and analysing and reviewing property data. Location: St Austell. Wage: £29,494.  Closing Date for applications: 28 February 2025.

Pupils can find out more about these roles and others on the Teams page or by contacting Mrs Kenward, who has said that “Degree Apprenticeships present wonderful opportunities but aren’t suitable for all candidates. They can be a great opportunity for self-starters who are mature enough to deal with juggling a job as well as a university workload. I recommend any pupil or parent wishing to find out more to speak to me, view the Teams page, and come along to Truro School Careers Convention.”

More information about the upcoming Careers Convention can be found HERE

Here is also an informative video all about Degree Apprenticeships.