Why you should consider a Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship

Posted on: 2018-01-09

You may be aware that Apprenticeships have changed. But the launch of the Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship is a landmark shift in their evolution. It means that for the first time apprenticeship programmes will be available which will enable individuals to acquire the skills, knowledge and behaviours to contribute to the leadership of their organisations.

While apprentices studying postgraduate degrees may challenge perceptions of what an apprenticeship is and who it is for, it can be argued that this approach is entirely consistent with the new vision for apprenticeships. The skills gaps in the Built Environment sector are well documented. But these are not restricted to technical roles. The sector will need to nurture talented people with potential to progress all the way to Board level, so they can provide their organisations with the resilience to deal with future challenges. These may include the impact of digital innovation, off-site manufacturing and whole-life building performance, as well as the “feast or famine” extremes of the economic cycle.

So how will these Master’s degree apprenticeships make a difference? Research tells us that only 1 in 5 UK managers holds a recognised management qualification. As the UK’s productivity lags further behind that of our main competitors our economy will need more leaders who can deal at senior level with issues such as managing innovation and culture change, formulating and executing competitive strategy, and motivating and developing high performing teams.

For individuals the benefits are clear: an integrated programme supported by their employer which includes an MBA or other Master’s degree leading to Chartered status, opening up new opportunities for career progression. For employers the driver will be to secure greater value from the Apprenticeship Levy, accelerating the development of their middle and senior managers so they can contribute more to the performance of the business.

To find out more about this new apprenticeship programme please click here.