Nursing Degree Apprenticeship

It is planned that the University of Derby will start to deliver the Nursing Degree Apprenticeship which includes BSc (Hons) Nursing in September 2018, subject to gaining NMC approval.

We are currently working with Chesterfield Royal, Royal Derby and DCHS to develop the apprenticeship. Other employers can also access the apprenticeship – it is not exclusive to these Trusts.

The apprenticeship is an alternative route to gaining a nursing degree. What makes it an apprenticeship is the regular monitoring by the university, employer and apprentice about their progress and performance.  An apprenticeship also includes an End Point Assessment. This is separate to any assessment done by the University. The format of this has not yet been agreed by the government, but we are expecting this to happen in 2017.

The entry requirements are exactly the same as a nursing degree at Derby – 112 UCAS tariff points plus English and maths GCSE at Grade C (or Grade 4) or equivalent.

The degree apprenticeship can be full-time (3 years) or part-time (likely to be 4 years). There is no cost to the apprentice for course fees.

The apprentice will still need to undertake all of the normal placements as expected on the degree, therefore they will spend time away from their host environment. If completing the apprenticeship part time, they will spend time in their HCA role too.

The apprentice must be employed for the duration of their apprenticeship. They will be paid as part of their apprenticeship. The amount of salary per year has not been agreed.

The apprenticeship will be funded by the new apprenticeship levy. We will be working with employers to enable them to make good use of the levy. All employers can access levy monies, but the funding rules are different depending on employer size.

As soon as we have got approval from the NMC, we will begin recruitment. Potential apprentices should begin talking to their employer about this opportunity in the first instance.

Find out more about higher and degree apprenticeships at the University of Derby.