1. University – have a plan A and B
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This year the National Apprenticeship Service together with UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) are working together to promote higher and degree apprenticeships.
You can go onto their website to view all of the Higher and Degree apprenticeship vacancies and in the future, these will also be a link alongside your options so that when you select your university choices, you will also be able to look at degree apprenticeships.
No-matter what your first choice is, whether it is studying at university full time or applying for apprenticeships, it’s really important to keep your options and do your research. Apply for university and look at apprenticeships and submit applications.
You may change your mind further down the line so our advice to you is to apply for both – that way when you get your results, you will have some options.
Useful additional resources:
WHICH UNIVERSITY - Guide to Higher & Degree Apprenticeships
The Student Room – Apprenticeship Hub..

3. Degree apprenticeships – a genuine game changer
Degree apprenticeships are a genuine game changer and should not be viewed as the poor relation of academic education, writes Pearson College London's Ben Hughes, vice-principal for academic delivery.
In this country, technical and vocational training has long been unfairly viewed as the poor relation of an academic education – at least by those who have had an academic education.
It could create an alternative corporate Russell Group. For example, a Rolls-Royce apprenticeship has long been held in similar esteem to an undergraduate degree course. Thanks to the levy, there will now be a whole host of such apprenticeships with leading companies, which also lead to a degree.
In time, school leavers will see your Oxford or Cambridge degree and raise you an IBM or a BBC degree apprenticeship. At the discussion, apprentice Chris Achiampong noted that many who doubted his initial decision to start a degree apprenticeship have had their reservations assuaged through an understanding of the programme and its benefits.
For the first time there is now an alternative HE route, with professional associations and blue chip endorsements which will ultimately lend it equal credibility to that traditional path.
For the first time, students can genuinely have their cake and eat it. Food for thought in these revolutionary times.

4. Early recruitment of Higher and Degree apprenticeship vacancies for 2017 (August onwards for 2018)
All vacancies are advertised on the Faa site
The following employers were involved with 1072 positions advertised nationally:
BAE Systems
Virgin Money
Balfour Beatty
Atkins Global Ltd
Wessex Water
ISG Plc
BBC
Atkins
Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship Programme
Laing O'Rourke
Lloyds Banking Group
Royal Mail
Nestle UK Ltd
Siemens
Ministry of Defence
Skanska
North Bristol NHS Trust
Wates Group Plc
Airbus
Mainly higher and degree vacancies
Full list can be downloaded here
More information can be found at: (2018)

5. Degree Early Applications for 2017 starts:
Employer
Job Position
Location
No.
BAE Systems
Aerospace Engineer
Warton 15
Software Development Enginner
Warton/Yeovil/Brough 18
Project Management
Warton, Samlesbury, Christchurch, Portsmouth, Frimley, Barrow, 42
Engineering
Portsmouth, Cowes 17
Combat Systems
New Malden, Frimley 16
Cost Engineer
Barrow 1
Systems Engineer
Frimley, New Malden, Weymouth 4
Finance 2
Human Resources
Information Management and Technology
Naval Architect
Product Safety
Nuclear 6
Supply Chain
Quality
Structural Engineering
Balfour Beatty
Construction
Across the UK,
100+ across UK
Wessex Water
Construction Management
South West
BBC
Digital and Technology Solutions
London and Salford 10
Broadcast and Communications Engineering
UK Wide 12
Business Management
Central London
6 or 7
Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship Programme 45
Commercial 20
Business Administration
500
Digital and Technology 55
Project Delivery 90
Royal Mail
London
Data Analyst 9
Cyber Technician
Chesterfield
Junior Digital Project Manager
Business Analyst
Siemens
Higher Engineering Apprenticeship - Digital Factory & Process Industries & Drives
Manchester
Skanska
Apprentice Quantity Surveyor 5
North Bristol NHS Trust
Assistant Practitioner
Southmead Hospital 50
Wates Group Plc
Leeds
Cambridge
Basingstoke
Enfield
Birmingham
Leatherhead
Building Services Management Apprentice
Airbus
Engineering Undergraduate Apprenticeship
Bristol 25
Virgin Money
ITC Apprentice
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Atkins Global Ltd
Chartered Surveyor Apprenticeship (Quantity Surveying Route)
ISG Plc
Apprentice Surveyor
Salford
Apprentice Construction Manager
Atkins
Stockton-on-Tees
Warrington
Laing O'Rourke
Dartford 7
Lloyds Banking Group
Group IT Apprentice
Halifax
Pudsey
Nestle UK Ltd
Nestlé Food Technologist Degree Apprenticeship
Dalston
Ministry of Defence
Degree Engineering Apprenticeship
Stoke Gifford, Bristol