Dyson scraps 'Outstanding' Degree Apprenticeships

A few weeks ago, Dyson announced it would be scrapping its degree apprenticeship programme in favour of an employer-sponsored Masters degree.

They essentially stated their reasoning is the overwhelming administrative burden.

If this isn’t a wake up call to the government to assess the hurdles we place in front of employers then I don’t know what is.

An English business (now headquartered in Singapore) with a universally recognised brand, heavily investing in training is now looking elsewhere for its skilled employees.

In 2017 they opened the doors to their Dyson Institute of Engineering & Technology in partnership with University of Warwick.

A perfect testing ground for degree apprenticeships in a field such as engineering where the demand is high!

It’s potentially convenient that they have also been recently awarded full degree awarding powers.

I am not an expert on this field, but fear that may have been a contender in the decision to move towards traditional degrees in-house.

It sets a bad precedent to other businesses, we are making great progress pushing apprenticeships as the equal to traditional pathways.

This could lead to more departures, so we need to reassess the administrative strain we place upon employers, and providers for that matter.

What makes this even worse, is that they were rated Outstanding as a degree apprenticeship provider, with the result released shortly after they scrapped their programmes!

I would love to know if I have missed something here or if there is another explanation.

Is this worrying?

I hope not.

A lot of debate is had around the funding elements of apprenticeships, but not enough is discussed about the practicalities of delivering the compliance, paperwork and administration.

I am sure in all walks of life you have people complaining about paperwork in their jobs, however it is important (usually).

However, if we want to install a new skill system, bridge skills gaps and encourage employers to invest in apprentices, we need to compromise on what we expect of them.

Thanks for reading.