The University is set to roll out Scotland’s first Information Computer Technology Graduate Level Apprenticeship programme, delivered by an innovative partnership with Skills Development Scotland and CGI, a leading employer in the IT sector.
Successful candidates will be offered a full-time job with CGI on a starting salary of £14,000 and the opportunity to achieve a BSc (Hons) in Software Development for Business from GCU.
At least ten graduate apprentices are expected to begin the four-year honours degree course in January 2017.
GCU’s Professor Tom Buggy, Head of Department, Computer, Communications and Interactive Systems, said: “This is new, innovative and prestigious for the University and will develop long term into a much wider delivery in Graduate Level Apprenticeships within GCU.”
Maggie Morrison, CGI Business Director in Scotland, said: “Graduate Level Apprentices will form a vital part of our resourcing strategy at CGI, helping us to build a strong, diverse and innovative workforce.
“Apprentices bring vibrant energy, a new perspective and fresh approaches to business challenges. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Skills Development Scotland and Glasgow Caledonian University to deliver the first Graduate Level Apprentices in Scotland.”
Jonathan Clark, Director of Service Design and Innovation at Skills Development Scotland, said: “Graduate Level Apprenticeships help to contextualise learning in the lecture theatre in a real-life work environment.
“Unlike other university students, the apprentices will have to combine full-time employment with their studies. But, for the successful candidates, the reward will be a good salary and excellent prospects with a leading company in the sector.
“Skills Development Scotland is developing Graduate Level Apprenticeships in a range of other industry areas. These are expected to become a real alternative to traditional routes to education, particularly for school-leavers who don’t want to leave university with debts, or for existing employees who have the ability to achieve a degree without giving up their job.”
Graduate Level Apprenticeships have been developed by national skills agency Skills Development Scotland and provide work-based learning opportunities up to Masters degree level for employees.
They have been created in partnership with industry and the further and higher education sector, combining academic knowledge with skills development to enable participants to become more effective and productive in the workplace.
The specification for the Graduate Level Apprenticeship programme can be viewed in detail here: https://www.apprenticeships.scot/graduate/cgi-graduate-level-apprenticeship/
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