“University at 18 didn’t make sense for me. What did? Getting stuck into the real world, learning on the job and only later realising there’s a smarter way to combine both.”
That smarter way? A Degree Apprenticeship.
A few years into my career, I stumbled on a different route. One that let me keep building my career and work towards a degree. No theory without context. No classrooms with no connection to reality. Just learning that meant something, every day.
Right now, I am studying at full-time pace while also working full time. It is tough. But it is worth it. And more people should be doing it.
From Theory to Practice
Takeaway: Learning while working builds leadership that’s grounded in reality.
One of the best parts of a Degree Apprenticeship is that you do not just read about leadership. You live it.
I have had to lead change, reflect on theory, and shift how I show up as a leader. That back-and-forth between the lecture and the real world has made me sharper, more aware, and more intentional.
It has also changed how I see organisations. I have started to understand how systems, behaviours and strategy link together. It is not just instinct anymore. It is informed judgment, built from experience and theory.
It is exactly the kind of learning Kolb talked about. Get hands-on, reflect, apply, and repeat.¹
Balancing the Load
Takeaway: The challenge builds more than knowledge, it builds resilience.
Balancing a demanding job with academic deadlines is no joke. You have to get smart about how you plan, prioritise, and keep going when it gets tough.
But what you gain is not just knowledge. It is leadership behaviour. The kind that shows up in the real world every day.
And the modules? From strategy and ethics to marketing and operations, I have linked almost every assignment to something real I have worked on. This is not education for later. This is learning that makes sense now.
My team sees the difference too. That has been powerful.
Real-World Relevance
Takeaway: You remember more when it means something in the moment.
When you’re in work, the classroom looks different. You hear a theory and immediately connect it to a recent conversation or decision. You see gaps. You challenge what doesn’t apply. You bring ideas back into the business the next day.
It also creates powerful peer learning. Degree Apprenticeships bring together professionals with different perspectives but similar pressures. The result is better dialogue and deeper insight.
Level 6 Apprenticeships: Still Available, Still Worth It
Takeaway: If you are considering a Degree Apprenticeship, Level 6 remains a strong option
The good news is that Level 6 Degree Apprenticeships, which typically lead to a bachelor’s degree, remain funded and available to adult learners. These programmes are rigorous, practical and genuinely life-changing for those balancing work and study.
If you are thinking about developing your career or formalising your skills, I would strongly recommend exploring a Level 6 pathway. It offers a meaningful way to earn while you learn, with impact felt both personally and professionally.
But Level 7 is Being Cut and That’s a Problem
Takeaway: Scrapping Level 7 apprenticeships weakens the UK’s leadership pipeline at exactly the wrong time
On 27 May 2025, the government confirmed that public funding for most Level 7 Degree Apprenticeships will be withdrawn from January 2026.² Only statutory and clinical programmes will remain eligible. Employers will no longer be able to use their apprenticeship levy to fund postgraduate-level learning for most adults.
This is a significant and disappointing shift.
Level 7 apprenticeships are not just academic qualifications. They are practical development routes for experienced professionals already contributing to the economy. They:
- Develop advanced skills in leadership, technology, health and sustainability
- Offer social mobility by enabling adult learners to gain postgraduate qualifications without debt
- Address critical skill gaps in real time, in real roles
In 2023 to 2024, more than 23,000 people started a Level 7 apprenticeship.³
Many are the first in their family to study at postgraduate level.
To cut this model now is to send the message that learning must stop at mid-career. That leadership development is only for the privileged or the young. And that workplace-based learning is somehow less valid.
While the intent may be to refocus funding on earlier-stage programmes, this decision misjudges the value of growing experienced people who are already delivering impact.
It needs to be reconsidered.
If You’re Considering It…
Do it.
You will be stretched. You will grow. You will earn while you learn. And your confidence, contribution and value will shift.
And if you are an employer? Back your people. Support Degree Apprenticeships. The return is real.
Final Thought
Degree Apprenticeships are not a luxury. They are a smart, strategic investment. They connect learning to real impact, theory to practice, ambition to opportunity.
If we care about skills, leadership and growth, we should not be cutting this model back. We should be building it up.
Policy must catch up with the evidence. Degree Apprenticeships deliver. Let us protect what works and help it grow.
Footnotes
1 Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
2 FE Week (2025, May 27). Level 7 apprenticeship funding to be axed from January 2026. https://feweek.co.uk/level-7-apprenticeship-funding-to-be-axed-from-january-2026
3 Department for Education (2024). Apprenticeships and traineeships, England 2023 to 2024. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships
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