Sponsorship Options for degrees

Study, Work & Sponsorship Options
There are a number of university course options whereby you combine studying for a degree whilst working for a particular company or even get sponsored through university. If you know what career you wish to pursue, these are an attractive option as they provide funding for your degree, work experience, often an ongoing salary and a guaranteed graduate role at the end. If you are concerned about student debt this maybe an option you wish to consider. Also, you will find them less competitive at this early stage to get into to, compared to obtaining a gradute role with the same employer after your degree, when the competition will be a lot tougher.
Take a look at the following:

Engineering: AMEC Sponsored Degree

AMEC is one of the worlds leading engineering, project management and consultancy companies. For students about to study mechanical engineering AMEC offer a number of scholarships at £4,000 per annum during your studies. To qualify, you should be expecting to gain at least 340 points or above in a maximum of four different science related subjects and have a university offer for IMechE to commence in Sept/Oct.

Construction: Balfour Beatty Sponsorship

Balfour Beatty sponsor students studying construction, civil engineering and quantity surveying degrees. To be eligible, you must be studying or due to start a relevant degree course (see below) and prepared to undertake an eight-week work placement with them. At the end of your course, Balfour Beatty would hope to offer you a full-time place on their Graduate scheme.

Construction Degrees

They offer undergraduate sponsorship of construction degree courses at the following UK universities:

• Loughborough university
• University of Salford

Civil Engineering Degrees

They offer undergraduate sponsorship of Civil Engineering degree courses at the following UK universities:

• Loughborough University
• The university of Nottingham
• University of Birmingham
• University of Leeds
• University of Southampton
• University of Surrey
• Durham University

Quantity Surveying Degrees

They offer undergraduate sponsorship of Quantity Surveying degree courses at the following UK universities:

• Northumbria University
• Nottingham Trent University
• Loughborough University
• Liverpool John Moores University

Banking: Barclays Retail Development Programme

Barclays Retail Development Programme offers a programme that combines the completion of a degree alongside full time work based learning. The length and structure of the programme will depend on who you are studying with. There are 2 choices:


Nottingham Business School

On this route, you’ll enrol on a BA (Hons) Business Management (Retail Banking). You’ll spend your first year studying full-time in Nottingham. Then, in your second and third years, you’ll be work-based. Barclays will cover your fees and pay you a salary in your second and third years. During your studies you’ll focus on a number of modular topics including Business Resource Management, Systems & Organisational Design and Corporate Strategy & Organisational Change. In years 2 and 3, you will attend two three-week study blocks, which will take place in Nottingham.

Lord Ashcroft International Business School

On this route, you’ll complete a three-year BA (Hons) in Management and Leadership but be work-based and employed by Barclays from day one. So as well as paying you from the start, Barclays will also cover your university fees for the full three years. During your studies you’ll focus on a number of modular topics including Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Realities, Career Management & Development and Contemporary Issues for Leadership & Innovation. You will attend three study blocks in year 1, all for two weeks. In years 2 and 3, you will receive two two-week study blocks in each year. The Ashcroft study blocks will take place in Oakham. On both routes, you’ll also receive support from a range of tutors and academic mentors to ensure you have the necessary support.

As well as your tuition fees being taken care of, you’ll also earn a salary of c£12,600 plus London Weighting Allowance (max £3,550 if applicable) and benefit from a range of benefits:

The application process:

The application process itself depends on which of the two routes you choose.

Nottingham Business School

Opt for the Nottingham Business School route, and you’ll need to apply through UCAS, searching for Nottingham Trent University and using the course code N200. You’ll need at least 340 UCAS points. If your initial application is successful, the school will invite you to an assessment centre; give you more information on the course and a chance to tour the campus. Do well at the first assessment centre and Barclays will invite you to a second one with them halfway through your first year. They will then let you know if you’ve successfully secured a position on the Retail Development Programme.

Lord Ashcroft International Business School

Opt for the Lord Ashcroft International Business School route and you will need at least 240 UCAS points (from 3 A Levels or equivalent) and 5 GCSE’s grade A – C (including English & Maths). To apply for this route, apply directly from the Barclay’s website.

Professional Services: Cap Gemini

The Cap Gemini Technology Apprenticeship Programme is a 5-year Higher Apprentice Programme, with a sponsored degree aimed at students with A levels or equivalent. It is designed to develop software engineers. The programme leads to a vocational BSc in Computing & IT and several professional qualifications. It will provide a thourough grounding in software engineering and provide experience on client projects. You will develop skills in a number of environments such as .net, Microsoft & Java and work woth cloud computing.

You will be given the opportunity to study part time for a BSC degree and sponsored throughout so no requirment to accumulate debt.

To be eligible, you require:
· at least 5 GCSEs at Grade C or above, including maths and English

· to have or expect 3 A-levels, grades C or above, or equivalent (e.g. National BTEC with at least 1 distinction, or completion of a full IT-related Advanced Apprenticeship with work experience).

· A-levels are likely to include an IT-related subject (e.g. maths or science)

· demonstrable passion and capability in software development (e.g. you might have designed a website or a game)

· high analytical capability

· good oral and written communication

· good interpersonal skills

· self-motivation

· ability to work well as part of a team

· ability and willingness to travel to different offices and client sites after your first 3 months.

Construction: Costain Sponsorship

Costain offers a competitive Bursary of up to £1500/annum in partnership with various scholarship schemes.
Paid summer and full-year industrial internships.
A graduate job offer subject to your performance.
Dissertation and student project support, providing relevant topics and industry information leading to an improved degree.

Construction: Costain Third Way

With the increasing cost of studying at University, Costain offers a ‘Third Way’ where successful recruits study for their degree on a distance learning or modular release basis. This normally takes five years and can be done while working for Costain. Costain sponsors the tuition fees. You are fully employed, working in a real job, gaining experience and developing your career.

Costain offers around five of these opportunities annually

Professional Services: Ernst & Young Degree

Ernst & Young have an accountancy degree developed with The Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland (ICAS) and the Lancaster University Management School. The degree lasts four years. At the end of it you'll have a BSc (Hons) in Accounting, Auditing and Finance.

You will also work at Ernst & Young for a total of 18 months divided into three placements: two of three months during the holidays, and one of 12 months in your third year. They have offices dotted around the UK, so there's usually some choice of where you want to spend your year away from LUMS.

You'll play a key role in an audit team, working directly with clients as well as with people at all levels in the company.

During this placement you'll sit two of the five Test of Professional Skills ICAS examinations. And when you complete your degree, you'll be exempt from seven of the ten ICAS Test of Competence examinations. This means you can qualify as a Chartered Accountant very soon after leaving university.

Benefits

• It'll help you get into a career at a world-class professional services firm – and then make faster progress when you're in it.
• You'll come out with more than a degree – you'll have professional exam passes too.
• If things go well you could get a job offer in your third year – leaving you free to concentrate on your degree.
• Well-paid work experience at Ernst & Young.
• A first year bursary to help you with to university set-up costs.
• The chance to land ICAS qualifications ahead of many other graduates.
• A chance to put into practice what you learn from your course.

Recruitment process

You can apply on the UCAS website, just like any other degree. Use course code NN43 or search for BSc/AccE&Y to find the degree. Once you've submitted your application:

• LUMS will conduct an academic screening from your UCAS application.
• You'll be asked to complete an online Ernst & Young application form and take an online ability test.
• E&Y will invite you to a selection workshop at their London office.
• If you're successful at the workshop and meet the degree requirements, we'll make you an offer.

Professional Services: Ernst & Young Scholarship

The Ernst & Young Scholarship runs over three year and starts when you finish your A-Levels and goes on until you reach the end of university.

Essentially, it’s paid work experience split into three chunks – you’ll be working in Advisory in E&Y London office:

• Several weeks’ work experience before you start university.
• A ten-week internship during your first university summer holiday.
• Another internship during your second university summer holiday. (You might get to spend some of your second internship at one of their international offices.)
• Sponsorship of £1,000 for each of your three years at university.
• If you perform well, there’s an excellent chance E&Y will give you a graduate job offer as you start your final year.
• Getting the chance to put theory into practice and develop your business, technical and soft skills.
• Having an individual mentor who’ll support your development.
• Meeting all sorts of people who work at Ernst & Young, and building a network of useful contacts.

Credit Rating: Experian Sponsored Degree Programme

Experian is a credit rating company. You will study for a BA (Hons) degree in Management & Leadership at Nottingham Trent University. In addition you will get to work at Experian, a Global FTSE 100 company.
There are 15 vacancies on the programme.

What's involved?

• You’ll work for Experian as a full time salaried employee
• You’ll study for a full time honours degree with Nottingham Trent University
• You’ll work in a real job that could include Human Resources, Marketing, Sales or Operations
• You’ll gain work experience working for one of the UK’s largest companies
• Content of the degree will include the study of business-related modules over the three years
• Study will be completed through study blocks at the university and distance learning
• You will gain tuition assistance from the university and support from your employer

Academically, you’ll need:

• 300 UCAS points (BBB or equivalent) or a BTEC National Diploma with Distinction Profile.
• At least a C-grade in both GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent).
• A Maths or science A level would be an advantage but not essential

Construction: Inspire Scholarship Scheme

The Inspire Scholarship Scheme is a scheme for undergraduates who wish to work in the contracting sector. Those that are successful are sponsored £1000 per annum for up to 3 years and can expect to work with their sponsoring employer every summer.

Year 13 students should express their interest through scholarship@cskills.org This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You will then receive an e-mailed application form. For further information see www.bconstructive.co.uk. The following employers participate in the scheme:

• Bornville Village Trust
• D-Drill Master Drillers
• Fox Ownby Ltd
• Grainger Building Services Ltd
• Lovell
• Morrison Facility Services
• Pegasus Facility Services
• Rafferty Chimneys Engineering Ltd
• Relmfield Builders Ltd
• Safe T Reach Access Platforms
• Sir Robert Alpine Ltd
• W.B. Simpsons (Midlands) Ltd

Construction: Kier Foundation Degree Programme

Kier is a leading construction, development and building company. The Kier Foundation Degree Programme is a partnership between Kier and Oxford Brookes University. They have created a degree course and combined it with on the job training in general construction and project management. Its structured over 3 years and you will need to commit to 160 hours of study each year.

The study is divided into 4 one-week blocks of residential study at Oxford Brookes University and then you will return to Kier for an assignment-based valuation.

Consulting; Logica Sponsored Degree Programmes

Logica offer two Sponsored Degree programmes: the BA (Hons) Business Management Degree and the BA (Hons) Business Management Degree with IT. Both programmes offer you the opportunity to combine academic study with real-life-on-the-job learning, spending one day a week studying on campus at the University of Winchester, and four days working in Logica. Delivered in partnership with the University of Winchester and Logica, the programmes last for three years.

The starting salary is £13,000 and your base office would be either Reading or Leatherhead for the duration of the programme. You would work within the Programme and Technical Services (PTS) division and will sit within the ‘Graduate Practice’. All tuition fees are covered by Logica. On graduation, you are committed to stay with Logica for a minimum of two years.

Application is via Logica.

Retail: Morrisons Sponsored Degree

Morrison’s funds 20 undergraduates a year on its three-year BSc in business and management. You will spend half your time working for Morrisons and half studying for the course, run by Bradford University's management school. There are two programmes; one is group wide and the other in manufacturing.

You will not take university holidays, but will have an annual leave allowance. Morrison’s pay £15,000 a year and also pay the total university tuition fees. You are also guaranteed a job once you graduate and must work for Morrison’s for at least three years. Application is through Morrison’s rather than UCAS.

You need a B and 2 C’s at A’level or 260 UCA points.

Energy: National Grid Sponsored Degree: The Power Academy

Professional Services: PWC & Henley Business School at University of Reading

PWC offer the opportunity to combine work with study at Henley Business School at the University of Reading on this partnership degree programme with PWC. As you progress through this four year BA (Hons) Accounting & Business (UCAS code NN41) degree programme you will be working toward the ICAEW’s Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) qualification.

You will also get to put theory into practice, by assisting PwC’s assurance team on client projects over three paid, progressive work placements. Successful graduates from the programme can expect to receive a full time job offer from PWC.

Professional Services: PWC & Newcastle University Degree Programme (Flying Start)

PWCs' Newcastle Degree Programme may be for you if you’ve decided on university and an accountancy career. You’ll qualify as a Chartered Accountant about a year after you graduate on this four-year BA (Honours) Business Accounting and Finance degree (UCAS Code NN14) at Newcastle University.

Developed in partnership with Newcastle University Business School and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), it combines the study of business, accounting and finance with paid work placements at PwC. The mix of theory and practice, plus the fact that you’ll pick up a range of vital business skills, mean you’ll be a step ahead of your peers by the time you join PWC.

Motoring: Rolls Royce Sponsored Degree

 

Research further into any that may interest you.