Education Secretary Justine Greening has announced that the University of Warwick has been awarded about £250,000 from the new Degree Apprenticeships Development Fund.

The university will use this to create a £500,000 package to fund around 100 new degree apprenticeships each year.

The first 80 degree apprentices (in Civil Engineering and Social Work) will start in 2018, with another 100 in 2019 and 120 in 2020. 

This will be in addition to about 400 apprentices in manufacturing engineering degree programmes, who are already studying and working with WMG at the University of Warwick (wmg.warwick.ac.uk).

The university is also exploring if it can create even more degree apprenticeship programmes; it has four technology-based areas under consideration.

University of Warwick vice-chancellor Stuart Croft said: “The UK has the second-lowest productivity of all the G7 countries, and skills gaps are seen as one of the major contributors to this issue.

“Universities such as Warwick have a long history of direct engagement in both their local and national economies.

“We are delighted once again to be at the forefront of a programme that delivers new opportunities for our young people, will also target local skills gaps, and will help drive economic growth in our region and the country as a whole.”