Celebrations as Business School Hits Degree Apprenticeship Century

Management degree apprenticeships designed to help employers grow their own leadership talent have welcomed their 100th apprentice less than two years after they were launched in the business school at the University of Lincoln, UK.

The Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) and Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship (SLMDA) at Lincoln International Business School are enabling employers across a range of industries to develop their in-house management teams using the Apprenticeship Levy.

These work-based learning programmes are designed to be flexible and accessible for professionals to combine part-time study with their careers, comprising a balance of on and off-the-job training. On successful completion, apprentices can graduate with a degree level qualification, including the prestigious Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Leadership.

Sarah Chester-Buckley became the 100th apprentice at the Lincoln International Business School when she joined the latest group of managers on the SLMDA in May.

Sarah joined her current employer United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust at Pilgrim Hospital, in her hometown of Boston, Lincolnshire, as a YTS Student Pharmacy Technician, as a teenager more than 25 years ago. She then went on to work in Pharmaceutical Research before returning to the NHS. Sarah re-joined United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust in 1996, working at Lincoln County Hospital, and three years ago she returned to Pilgrim Hospital to lead the Pharmacy team as the Operations Manager.

Sarah, who has never previously studied at university, said “I can’t believe how amazing the university experience has been already. When I was at school we only had one BBC computer – when I walked into the state of the art library on campus I was just amazed. The technology on offer for our learning journey is just fantastic, and the building is stunning. There is a real vibe around campus – it just makes you want to learn!
“My line manager has previously studied the MBA and is hugely supportive of me – I’m really excited about leading projects at work with my newly acquired academic theory behind me. I know this will be a challenge, but with the support of my new class-mates I know I’ll get there. I already feel that I’m part of a strong team with the others and I can’t wait to get started on the course.”

Both the CMDA and SLMDA are ‘trailblazer’ apprenticeships created by the Chartered Management Institute, the Chartered Association of Business Schools and higher education providers. Lincoln’s CMDA (Level 6) is underpinned by the BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Leadership and Management degree; while the Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship (Level 7) is based on Lincoln’s part-time MBA Leadership.

Claire Flavell, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Talent Academy Strategic Lead, said: “We’re delighted that the Talent Academy has been able to support Sarah with her career progression within the Trust. As a member of our first cohort on the Senior Leaders Master’s Degree Apprenticeship delivered by the University of Lincoln, it provides confirmation of how far our staff can develop.
“For so many of our staff, the thought of stepping back into a learning environment after a long time out of the classroom can be a daunting prospect. The use of apprenticeships within our career pathways provides staff with the opportunity to apply in practice the theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom.
“This approach allows both the Trust and its apprentices to see the ongoing benefit of newly acquired skills being incorporated into their day-to-day roles within the organisation.”

Dr Craig Marsh, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of Lincoln International Business School at the University of Lincoln, said: “Effective leadership and management is critical to the success of any organisation and those employers who invest in their in-house talent tend to reap the benefits later. This is one of the many reasons I am delighted that we have reached this milestone of our 100th management degree apprentice at Lincoln International Business School. This creates a true proof point of how employers across many industry sectors in Lincolnshire are embracing the opportunity to invest in the future of their workforce.
“A cornerstone of our degree apprenticeship programmes is that they have been co-created with employers. Their success so far is down not just to the quality of the programme design but also the way in which industry and individuals have seized the opportunity in responding to the new offering.”

For more details on course content and eligibility, please visit: www.lincoln.ac.uk/apprenticeships