What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship provides the opportunity for you to work and study at the same time. You will be employed within a relevant job role alongside studying for your qualifications to become experienced within a specific area. The training costs (including your course fees) for your apprenticeship will be fully funded by your employer whilst you are being paid for the hours that you are working.
At Liverpool Hope University, we are currently offering Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship courses which will give you the opportunity to obtain a full bachelors degree to support you to reach new heights in your career.
Benefits of studying an apprenticeship
By choosing a degree apprenticeship with Liverpool Hope University and one of our Employer Partners, you will:
- Obtain a full bachelors degree and graduate debt free. Your tuition fees are fully funded by your employer and the government, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.
- Earn a full-time salary while you study for your degree
- Gain skills and experience in specific sectors relevant to your chosen career
- Apply your learning to real-world projects in the workplace
- Enjoy the benefits of being a full-time employee whilst having paid time off for learning and study
- Have access to a dedicated, sector qualified, Skills Coach to guide you through your apprenticeship journey and support your progress
- Enjoy the benefits of being a Liverpool Hope University student! You will have access to our campus, and University services including all of the incredible facilities and learning resources such as our 24/7 library
- We were recently placed as the top University in the North West across six categories in the 2024 National Student Survey, including Academic Support, Learning Opportunities and Mental Wellbeing Services.
How am I assessed?
Apprenticeships are more than just a qualification; they are aimed at training you for a specific job role or sector. You will need to complete the methods of assessment for your Bachelors qualification which will vary dependent upon your course, but may include essays, presentations, reports and practical activities.
Furthermore, you will also have to pass your End Point Assessment (EPA) which ensures that you have met the requirements for the apprenticeship by assessing your ability to perform the job role. There will be further information about this on your course page.
What are off-the-job hours?
Your employer is legally required to provide a minimum of 20% off-the-job time over the duration of your apprenticeship for you to complete the activities related to your study. This could be attending Liverpool Hope University lectures, researching, writing an assignment, or practicing new activities. This time will be given during your normal working hours and will be paid. The amount of time required for your apprenticeship will be agreed by your employer and training provider before your start date.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided for our Degree Apprenticeship Courses, however, occasionally we have to make unforeseen changes.
Employment
You must have secured or already be in employment to undertake an apprenticeship. It is your responsibility to find an employer that is willing and happy to support you with the appropriate apprenticeship opportunity. The employer that you work for must be in a relevant field to what you would like to study.
Therefore, if you are already working for an employer in the correct field, you can speak to them about supporting you with an apprenticeship. If they do not already offer apprenticeships, they can speak to our Business Development Manager by emailing apprenticeships@hope.ac.uk. If you are not already employed by the appropriate employer, you will need to find and apply for apprenticeship opportunities. You can look on job vacancy websites or Gov.uk Find an Apprenticeship where employers can post apprenticeship opportunities.
Eligibility criteria
You and your employer must make sure the following criteria is met to be eligible for funding.
- You will be aged 18 or over before you start your course
- You are a UK citizen with the Right to Work and Study in the UK (or you are a Non-UK citizen with the Right to Work and Study in the UK)
- You are currently in employment in England and will spend at least 50% of your working hours in England over the duration of the apprenticeship, and you are not self-employed
- You are not planning to leave the UK within the next 12 months (excluding holidays)
- If you’ve already undertaken an apprenticeship, you will have completed or achieved and left that apprenticeship before undertaking this apprenticeship with Liverpool Hope University
If you don’t meet these requirements or are unsure of your eligibility, please contact us before applying at: apprenticeships@hope.ac.uk
Apprenticeship specific criteria
As well as the apprenticeship eligibility criteria, you must also meet the requirements of our courses. All applicants are individually assessed for suitability. Entry criteria is specified per Degree Apprenticeship and details can be found by visiting our Our Apprenticeship Courses page.
If you are unsure if the qualifications you hold match our entry criteria, please contact us by emailing apprenticeships@hope.ac.uk or call 0151 291 2281.
Course fees
Your course fees will be fully funded by your employer. This means you will not have to access a student loan or fund the course yourself as this will be organised by the employer. However, you will need to remain in full-time employment with an appropriate employer for the duration of your apprenticeship course.
Salary
You will receive a full-time salary from your employer which will cover the hours that you work as well as the agreed time that you spend completing activities towards your apprenticeship. It is up to your employer how much you are paid for your role and this will vary dependent upon your employer. There is an National Apprenticeship Minimum Wage which is the minimum that an employer can pay.
Can I access the tuition fee loan and maintenance loan?
As your employer is funding your studies and paying a full-time wage, you will not be eligible to access additional student funding from the Students Loan Company (SLC). However, as you are being paid this will cover your cost of living so you would not need to access the maintenance loan.
How do I find an employer?
It is your responsibility to find an employer that will support you with an apprenticeship opportunity. At present, Liverpool Hope University do not provide an employer matching service. Finding an apprenticeship is similar to the process of finding a job, you can check job vacancy websites or Gov.uk find an apprenticeship where employers can post apprenticeship opportunities. There are no set deadlines for an employer to post their apprenticeship listings, so you will need to check frequently to apply for any relevant postings for your apprenticeship of choice.
How can I apply for an apprenticeship?
Once you have found an employer that is happy to support you, the employer can contact Liverpool Hope University to begin the enrolment process. They can do this by emailing our Business Development Manager at apprenticeships@hope.ac.uk.
Can I apply to study full-time as well as apply to apprenticeship vacancies?
Yes, if you are unsure whether you would like to complete an apprenticeship or study one of our full-time undergraduate degrees, you can still apply for courses via UCAS and explore apprenticeship vacancies. These are two separate and different processes that do not overlap. The process to apply to university is different to applying for a degree apprenticeship, so please see our how to apply page for further information on our undergraduate full-time degrees.
To apply for an apprenticeship, you must apply to employer vacancies that are posted online. Please see our entry criteria tab for more information on applying to apprenticeships.
Can I join a society as an apprentice?
Yes! As an apprentice, you will also have access to all the support available to students at Liverpool Hope University, including our extensive learning resources and fantastic facilities.
You can join societies, but you will be considered an employee first, which means your work commitments and responsibility will take priority. However, if there is a society that works for you and your timetable, then you can join.
I want to study an apprenticeship but don't meet the entry requirements?
If you are unsure whether you meet the entry requirements for one of our apprenticeships, please contact apprenticeships@hope.ac.uk and we will be able to provide additional guidance.
If you would like to discuss one of our apprenticeships further, or progress with enrolling an apprentice with us, please ask your employer to contact Kim, our Business Development Manager, by emailing apprenticeships@hope.ac.uk or call the team on 0151 291 2281.
