Leeds Trinity University has signed an agreement with logistics company Uniserve and their training subsidiary The Supply Chain Academy, to deliver a new Degree Apprenticeship in supply chain management.
25 apprentices, including employees of Uniserve, Henry Schein and Royal Mail will study for a Supply Chain Leadership Professional Degree Apprenticeship over the next three years.
The Apprenticeship hasbeen in development since 2016 through an employer group led by Uniserve and the qualification was approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships last month. Leeds Trinity will be the first university to deliver the Apprenticeship.
Professor Margaret A House OBE, Vice-Chancellor at Leeds Trinity University, said:
"We have been involved in the Trailblazer group to develop a brand-new Degree Apprenticeship for supply chain professionals since its inception two years ago. This is an exciting development in a sector that is crucial to the UK economy.
"We have worked with employers throughout every stage of the process of developing the degree so I have no doubt that this programme will meet the needs and expectations of employers, who will developing both new and existing staff through this apprenticeship."
Paul Stone, Director of Human Resources at Uniserve and Director of The Supply Chain Academy, said: "The industry is desperate for the level of skills that will be provided by the Degree Apprenticeship, which was developed in partnership with employers to address those skills gaps. It's been refreshing to work with Leeds Trinity, which has a reputation of providing a professional education alongside industry experience, to develop highly employable graduates."
The Degree Apprenticeship at Leeds Trinity is being delivered by the University and The Supply Chain Academy. Together, the organisations have developed a bespoke business-led degree tailored to employer's needs, including delivery on campus at Leeds Trinity and at The Supply Chain Academy's impressive Upminster Court premises in Essex.
Staff will spend approximately 15 days per year on both campuses, attending lectures and seminars, and will be expected to complete online tasks and independent research activities within the workplace. They will be assessed through various methods including reports, presentations, professional discussions, assignments and work-based projects. The course will take approximately three-and-a-half years to complete.
18-year old Tom O'Meara is an apprentice at Uniserve, recruited by the company specifically for the Degree Apprenticeship in Supply Chain Leadership. Tom said:
"The degree apprenticeship means I take a deeper interest in my work and how I can better myself day-by-day. It's teaching me a lot about self-reflection, through our learning journals which we use to record our work-based learning. We look at how we learn, how it can be applied to our job and how we could have learned better. Module one was excellent for identifying how I best learn as an individual. I'm very excited for what is to come in the future."
In addition to the current cohort, the University will welcome a new cohort of apprentices later this year.
For more information about the Supply Chain Leadership Professional Degree Apprenticeship, please visit theLeeds Trinity University website or contact Claire Newhouse, Head of Apprenticeship and Skills at Leeds Trinity University, by email -c.newhouse@leedstrinity.ac.uk or phone on 0113 283 7129.