Bournemouth University (BU) has been awarded £465,000 from the Office for Students (OfS) to create five new degree apprenticeship courses, with the goal of addressing regional skills gaps.

The programmes, set to launch in September 2025, will cover Digital Marketing, Accounting and Finance Management, Biomedical Science, Social Work, and Midwifery. Applications will open early next year, with tuition fees funded through the apprenticeships levy.

This funding marks the second time this year that BU has received support from the OfS for its degree apprenticeships. In January, the university announced two new courses, and in July, the OfS recognised BU as an outstanding provider.

Professor Philip Sewell, Director of Apprenticeships and Skills at BU, highlighted the university’s ambitions: “We want to be the region’s degree apprenticeship provider of choice, strengthening the local workforce and meeting national challenges caused by skills gaps. This funding represents the scale of ambition we have as a university to deliver apprenticeships that meet the region’s needs.”

BU already offers five degree apprenticeship courses, supporting over 400 apprentices. The additional funding will also be used to promote equality of opportunity in the region. Workshops and after-school sessions will be held for underrepresented groups, offering guidance on how to apply for degree apprenticeships.

Professor Sewell added: “We will create resources for schools and hold webinars to help parents and carers understand degree apprenticeships and support applicants. We’ll also offer mock interviews to prepare them.”