A Liverpool air conditioning engineer has become one of the first students to embark on a new Higher Apprenticeship in Sustainable Built Environment, a new qualification designed to offer an “earn and learn” alternative to university.
The curriculum has been validated and designed by Leeds College of Building, but will be offered by a number of partner institutions.
Bradford College, Grimsby Institute, Highbury College in Portsmouth, Leicester College, Moulton College in Northampton, New College Nottingham, Oldham College and Stephenson College in Coalville are already offering the course, and at least four more FE colleges are expected to join them.
The HASBE will be one of two Higher Apprenticeships aimed at training future construction managers, sitting alongside a Construction Operations Management course validated by Middlesex University.
Both courses have received funding from the government’s National Apprenticeship Service, which is distributing £18.7m in government funding to create 19,000 higher apprenticeship places across the economy. Leeds aims to recruit 500 students by the end of 2013, while Middlesex is targeting 1,300.
Jay Gregson: “Best of both worlds”
Jay Gregson, a 19-year-old employee of Toshiba Carrier, will study towards an NVQ Level 5 in Construction Management (Sustainability) and a Higher National Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment while continuing to work for his employer.
He explains: “I’ve always been good academically but when I left school I was keen to start earning a wage so doing an apprenticeship was the obvious choice. I’ve just finished a Level 3 Apprenticeship and want to carry on gaining qualifications but university and the costs associated with it still didn’t appeal to me.”
“This new HLA qualification offers the best of both worlds because I’ll still earn a wage, the course is paid for by my employer and it effectively offers three qualifications rolled into one so it will give me lots of career options in the future.”
Entrants need to have 80 UCAS points, a relevant BTEC, or have completed a Level 3 apprenticeship. Employers will be eligible to claim a CITB grant of £3,000 towards the apprentices’ course fees.
Sarah Carter, Higher Apprenticeship project manager at Leeds College of Building, said: “This qualification has been developed with employers, colleges, universities and all the leading sector skills councils in order to add real value to the industry by creating a skilled workforce that is productive and can help businesses to grow.”
Lee Firth, technical programme manager at NG Bailey, which is enrolling members of its team on the course, added: “This course offers all the sustainability competencies that are key to the future of the industry. There’s no doubt it will encourage new people into the industry and help to produce quality employees that meet the standard academically and can deliver in the workplace.”
For further information visit www.hasbe.co.uk
