On the day of AccessHE Uni Connect: Degree Apprenticeships Live!

June 5, 2020

“A really good event. A lot of variation, all whilst being informative. I found it very useful. Thank you!”  Student attendee

On Thursday 21st May at 10.00am, the AccessHE Uni Connect outreach hub braved unchartered waters in digital outreach, broadcasting to 194 people from across London and beyond on YouTube Live. Attendees tuned in to join our inaugural Degree Apprenticeships Live event, including students from 19 different schools.

The event was hosted by the AccessHE Uni Connect Outreach Hub Team with guest speakers from Pearson College London and Amazing Apprenticeships. We were lucky enough to hear directly from a current degree apprentice, Jasmine Okoye, from Pearson College London, who shared her experiences and wisdom, (including an interview question example about a BLT sandwich, which made us all a little hungry…)

We kicked off the event with a warm welcome from our very own Graham Norton – Outreach Coordinator Beth Hayden. Beth introduced the presenters and we went straight to our first speaker, Jasmine Okoye, degree apprentice at Pearson College London. Jasmine talked us through a typical day as a degree apprentice, why she chose this route, the benefits of doing a degree apprenticeship vs. a traditional degree and how she fits in her studies alongside a 9 – 5 role, and on top of a catering business side project!

“The choice of speakers were excellent because they gave detailed information about degree apprenticeships, plus an insight into an actual degree apprenticeship.” Student attendee

Next up, Ed Penn, Access and Participation Manager from Pearson College London explained what a degree apprenticeship entails, including an interactive true of false quiz. Ed outlined the positives and challenges of pursuing this alternative route into HE and gave tips on what skills are needed to study a degree apprenticeship. The session also explored what skills are gained through a degree apprenticeship you perhaps wouldn’t gain through a traditional degree, where to find degree apprenticeship vacancies, and how to apply.

Bradley Davis, Ask Adviser from Amazing Apprenticeships followed with a fantastic workshop on recognising your strengths, and hints and tips to succeed in the degree apprenticeship application process. Bradley encouraged attendees to write down 5 personal strengths, rating them from 1 – 5, to spark thought on how our individual strengths can shape course choice and career pathways. The session also explored how hobbies can shape what we do as a career, and Bradley provided practical examples for demonstrating personal strengths in an interview, and how to prepare.

Finally, we rounded off the event with a Q&A panel, answering questions from students and careers advisers across London, the UK, and beyond! A summary of the most asked questions can be found here.

Feedback from the live event has been great and we would like to say a big thank you to the guest speakers from Pearson College London and Amazing Apprenticeships! We are looking forward to hosting more virtual events to support our network of schools and students, in the not too distant future – watch this space.

If you missed the Degree Apprenticeship Live event, you can watch the recording here

The Degree Apprenticeship Live event was hosted by the Uni Connect Outreach Hub. If you would like to get in touch with one of the team, please email ncophub@londohigher.ac.uk.