Apprenticeships

Higher Level Apprenticeships

If you've completed A Levels or equivalent, you may be interested in a Higher Level Apprenticeship, which offers the opportunity to gain quality training and a recognised higher qualification while in paid employment.

Higher Level Apprenticeship qualifications

Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) currently offer you qualifications from Level 4 to Level 7 (Masters degree). The majority are at Level 5 (Foundation degree or equivalent).

The length of a Higher Level Apprenticeship will vary depending on the programme you chose, but will be a minimum of two years.

Benefits to apprentices

By taking part in a Higher Level Apprenticeship, you can gain the skills that employers need and that are relevant to the local economy, therefore improving your prospects of good earnings and sustained employment.

Other benefits include:

  • earning while you learn
  • achieving professional-level qualifications without paying higher education tuition fees
  • increased opportunities for career progression
  • a clear pathway to achieving ambitions in the workplace

Benefits to employers

Higher Level Apprenticeships allow employers to train staff to the level needed so they have strong technical and good employability skills.

An apprenticeship can:

  • fill higher level skills gap
  • attract higher calibre staff
  • increase productivity
  • develop existing staff

Eligibility

Opportunities are available for you to gain qualifications from Level 4 upwards if you are a new employee or an existing employee in a new job role. Entry requirements will depend on the apprenticeship pathway.

To take part in the Higher Level Apprenticeship programme you need, as a minimum, to:

  • be employed or be about to take up paid employment as an apprentice, or be an existing employee moving to a new job role, with a Northern Ireland based company
  • work a minimum of 21 hours per week (which includes time for ‘off-the-job’ training)
  • have achieved all necessary entry qualifications determined by the relevant sector
  • pass any entry tests specified by the relevant sector
  • be the minimum school leaving age in Northern Ireland

Higher Level Apprenticeships available

Higher Level Apprenticeships are available through the colleges and universities below.

College titles and abbreviations

College Abbreviation
Belfast Metropolitan College BMC
College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise CAFRE
Northern Regional College Northern
North West Regional College NWRC
South Eastern Regional College SERC
Southern Regional College SRC
South West College SWC
Ulster University UU
Open University OU
Queen's University Belfast QUB

Currently, Higher Level Apprenticeships are available in over 20 occupational areas including ICT, Professional Services, Engineering, Life Sciences, Accountancy and Health Care. See below for full details.

Sector Title College / University Qualification
Agri-food manufacture Food and drink manufacture CAFRE Foundation degree (FDSc) in food and drink manufacture
Built environment Architectural engineering and energy SWC Foundation degree (FdEng) in architectural engineering and energy
  BIM project management QUB MSc BIM project management
  Construction

Northern

SERC

Higher National Certificate (HNC) in construction and the built environment
  Construction building services SERC Higher National Certificate (HNC) in construction and the built environment - building services engineering
  Construction engineering with surveying SWC Foundation degree (FdSc) in construction engineering with surveying
  Construction project management QUB MSc construction project management
  Digital construction SRC Foundation degree (FDSc) digital construction
  Energy, environment, sustainability SWC Foundation degree in energy, environment and sustainability
Business and administration Accounting and management UU

BSc (Hons) accounting and management
  Business management SWC Foundation degree in business management
  Business technology UU BSc Hons business technology
  Designing and leading customer experience UU Bsc (Hons) managing the customer contact
  Global capital markets UU MSc global capital markets
Childcare and youth work Children's care, learning and development

SERC

 

 

Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education (CACHE) Diploma in leadership for children’s care, learning and development
    NWRC City & Guilds diploma in leadership for children's care, learning and development
  Leadership for children's care, learning and development (management) BMC Level 5 diploma in leadership for children's care, learning and development (management) Wales and Northern Ireland
Civil engineering Civil engineering BMC Foundation degree (FdEng) Civil engineering
    UU BEng (Hons) Civil engineering
  Civil and environmental engineering SWC Foundation degree (FdEng) in civil and environmental engineering
Engineering and manufacturing Advanced manufacturing

Northern

Foundation degree in electrical and electronic engineering
    Northern
 		 Foundation degree in mechanical and manufacturing engineering
  Electrical and electronic engineering NWRC Foundation degree in electrical and electronic engineering
  Manufacturing engineering SWC

Foundation degree in engineering, with specialisms in manufacturing (two years)

Foundation degree in engineering, with specialisms in manufacturing (three years)
  Mechanical engineering NWRC Foundation degree in mechanical engineering
  Mechatronics SERC
SRC		 Foundation degree in mechatronic engineering
  Mechatronic engineering SWC

Foundation degree in engineering (with specialisms) - mechatronics (two years)

Foundation degree in engineering (with specialisms) - mechatronics (three years)
Finance and accounting Accountancy

 BMC
Northern
NWRC
SERC
SRC
SWC

Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI) certificate/ diploma for accounting technicians 
  Financial technology UU BSc Hons financial technology
Health and social care Leadership for health and social care (adults) SERC Pearson Edexcel Level 5 in leadership for health and social care services (adults' management) Wales and Northern Ireland
Hospitality and events Culinary arts management SERC Foundation degree (FdSc) in hospitality and tourism management with specialisms
  Hospitality and tourism management with specialisms

NWRC
BMC

 Foundation degree (FdSc) hospitality and tourism management with specialisms
ICT and Digital Cloud and application development BMC Foundation degree in cloud and application development
  Computing

Northern
SWC

 

Foundation degree (FdSc) in computing
  Computing infrastructure SRC Foundation degree in computing infrastructure
  Computing systems UU BSc (Hons) computing systems
  Cyber security and networking infrastructure BMC Foundation degree in cyber security and networking infrastructure
  Software development NWRC Foundation degree in software development 
  Software engineering with digital technology partnership QUB BEng software engineering/ BEng Hon computer science
Life and health science Applied industrial science (chemical science) SRC Foundation degree in applied industrial science (chemical science)
  Applied industrial science (life science) SRC Foundation degree in applied industrial science (life science)
  Applied industrial science UU BSc(Hons) applied pharmaceutical sciences
Motor vehicle Automotive management SERC Institute of Motor Industry (IMI) diploma in automotive management
  Advance automotive studies - heavy vehicle master technician SERC Institute of Motor Industry (IMI) certificate in advanced automotive studies
  Advance automotive studies - light vehicle master technician SERC Institute of Motor Industry (IMI) certificate in advanced automotive studies
Sales and marketing Digital marketing, advertising and communication (DMAC) SRC Foundation degree in digital marketing, advertising and communications

If you're interested in doing a Higher Level Apprenticeship, contact the relevant Further Education College or University for further information.

If you're  not sure about which apprenticeship you want to follow, or want more information on what the Apprenticeships programme can do for you, contact the helpline:

More useful links

Apprenticeship frameworks

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