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 permanent 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
You may need to meet other eligibility considerations, for example you may not be eligible if you're a non-EU national, a public sector worker or based on the qualifications you have previously been awarded.
Apprentices from Third Countries including European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss Nationals
If you're a Third country national, including European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss Nationals, you and your family members are eligible to do a HLA as long as you've a right to live and work in the UK, for example, through:
- having secured settled status in the UK with the appropriate visa/permit
- having indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK
- having been recognised as a refugee by the UK Government, or the spouse or civil partner or child of a refugee, or having been granted Humanitarian Protection, or having EU Temporary Protection with evidence/permit to show their status and eligibility to work in the UK
- relying on your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement during the “grace period” (1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021) or until your application under the EU Settlement Scheme is complete
- having secured pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- acquiring the right to live and work under the UK’s new immigration system effective from 1 January 2021
Legal responsibility for establishing that the apprentice has a right to live and work in the UK rests with the employer.
Under the Common Travel Area arrangements, Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals (including those who continue to reside in the RoI) are eligible to do a HLA subject to satisfying all other eligibility criteria.
Higher Level Apprenticeships available
Higher Level Apprenticeships are available through the Further Education colleges and universities in Northern Ireland, in over 20 occupational areas including:
- ICT
- Professional Services
- Engineering
- Life Sciences
- Accountancy
- Health Care
See details below of qualifications available per sector and where they’re available.
Accounting
- Accountancy - Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI) Certificate/ Diploma for Accounting Technicians – Belfast Metropolitan College (BMC), North West Regional College (NWRC), South Eastern Regional College (SERC), Southern Regional College (SRC), South West Regional College (SWC)
- HLA Accounting Technicians Level 5- Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI) Certificate/Diploma for Accounting Technicians – Northern Regional College
- ACCA Professional Accountant - ACCA Professional Accountant - SWC
- Accounting and finance - BSc Hons Accounting & finance – Ulster University (UU)
- Accounting and finance (top up)- BSc Hons Accounting & finance – UU
- Accounting technology - Bachelor of science (Hons) in Accounting technology - BMC
- BSc (Hons) degree in Accounting Technology- Bachelor of science (Hons) in Accounting Technology - SRC
- Financial technology - Level 6 - BSc Hons Financial Technology UU
- International accounting with analytics – MSc International accounting with analytics- UU
Advanced manufacturing and engineering
- Advanced Manufacturing -Electrical & electronic engineering - Fd Eng Electrical and electronic engineering – NRC
- Advanced Manufacturing -Mechanical & manufacturing engineering - Fd Eng Mechanical and manufacturing engineering- NRC
- Advanced technician in engineering-Advanced manufacturing - Pearson BTech HNC advanced technician in engineering- SWC
- Advanced technician in engineering- Electrical and electronic engineering - Pearson BTech HNC Advanced Technician in Engineering– NWRC
- Advanced technician in engineering – General engineering- Pearson BTech HNC advanced technician in engineering – NWRC
- Advanced technician in engineering - Maintenance – Pearson BTech HNC advanced technician in engineering- SWC
- Advanced technician in engineering - Mechanical manufacturing engineering - Pearson Higher National Certificate in engineering (General) - SERC
- BEng (Hons) degree in engineering (Top Up)- BEng degree in Engineering (top up) - SRC
- BEng Engineering top up - BEng (Hons) Engineering - SWC
- Degree apprenticeship in electrical and electronic engineering – BEng Hons electrical & electronic engineering - UU
- Engineering (Electrical & electronic) - Foundation degree in Engineering (Electrical & electronic) - SRC
- Engineering (Technical design & manufacture) - Foundation degree in Engineering (Technical design and manufacture) – SRC
- Industry 4.0 Manufacturing - Foundation degree in Industry 4.0 – SERC
- HLA HND General Engineering -Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Engineering (General)- NWRC
- L5 Print management - GQA Level 5 Print management – BMC
- Level 5 HND Engineering – Electrical & electronic engineering- Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Engineering (electrical and electronic engineering)- NWRC
- Level 7 HLA in Mechanical engineering with management - MSc in Mechanical engineering with management – Queens University, Belfast (QUB)
- Manufacturing Engineering - Part-time 3 years - Foundation degree in engineering: Manufacturing – SWC
- Mechanical and manufacturing engineering- BEng Hons mechanical and manufacturing engineering degree - UU
- Mechatronics- Foundation degree in mechatronic engineering –SRC
- Mechatronics- FdEng in mechatronic engineering- SERC
- Mechatronic Engineering - BEng Hons Mechatronic Engineering - UU
- Mechatronic engineering Part-time 3 years – Foundation degree in engineering: Mechatronics - SWC
Agri-food manufacturing
- Food and drink manufacture - Foundation degree (FdSc) food and drink manufacture – College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE)
- Food innovation and technology - Level 5 – Foundation degree in Food technology and innovation – CAFRE (from September 2025)
- Level 6 HLA in food and drink manufacture - BSc (Hons) Food and drink manufacture – CAFRE
Built environment
- Architectural Technology - Foundation Degree in Architectural Technology – BMC, NRC
- BEng (Hons) degree in building services with sustainable energy- BEng (Hons) top-up in building services with sustainable energy- SWC
- BSc (Hons) top-up in construction engineering & management- BSc (Hons) top-up in construction engineering & management - SWC
- Building Information Modelling Project Management- MSc building information modelling project management – Queens University Belfast (QUB)
- Building services engineering (HVAC) - Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Building services engineering - SERC
- Building services with sustainable energy - FD in building services with sustainable energy - SWC
- City planning and design - MSc city planning and design - QUB
- Construction (Digital) - Foundation degree in Construction (Digital construction management)- SRC
- Construction engineering - surveying - Foundation degree (FdSc) in construction engineering with surveying – BMC, NRC, SWC
- Construction engineering and management- BSc (Hons) construction engineering and management - UU
- Construction (Modern methods of construction) - Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Modern methods of construction- NRC
- Construction and project management - MSc in Construction and Project Management - QUB
- Construction (Quantity surveying) - Foundation degree in Construction (Quantity surveying) – SRC
- Construction (top up) - BSc (Hons) Construction – SRC
- HLA in Construction Management - Pearson BTEC Higher National Certificate in Construction management- SERC
- Level 4 HLA Modern Construction & Renewables - Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Construction Management – NWRC
- MSc Digital construction analytics and building information modelling - MSc Digital construction analytics and building information Modelling - UU
- Planning and development - MSc Planning and development- QUB
- Quantity surveying and commercial management - BSc (Hons) Quantity surveying and commercial management- UU
Business and administration
- Accounting with management – BSc Hons accounting with management – UU
- BSc (Hons) business studies – BSc (Hons) business studies- SWC
- Business & enterprise- FDSc in business and enterprise- NWRC
- Business management - Foundation degree in business management – SWC
- Business technology Level 6 - BSc Hons business technology – UU
- Business in technology (MBT) - Level 7 - MSc business in technology – UU
- FinTech management - MSc FinTech management HLA PT- UU
- Leading on customer operations - BSc (Hons) Managing the customer contact- UU
- Procurement & Supply – Chartered institute of procurement level 5 advanced diploma in purchasing and supply – BMC
Childcare and youth work
- Children’s care, learning and development- Leadership for children’s care, learning and development (L5 CCLD) (Management) (Northern Ireland) - NWRC
- Children’s care learning & development - NCFE CACHE Level 5 diploma in leadership for children's care, learning and development (Management, Northern Ireland) - SERC
- Children’s care, learning and development (Management) - NCFE CACHE Level 5 diploma in leadership for children's care, learning and development (Management), (Northern Ireland) – BMC
- Leadership for children’s care, learning and development (Management)- Level 5 diploma in leadership for children’s care, learning and development (Management)- NRC
Civil engineering
- Civil engineering- BEng/MEng civil engineering- UU
- Civil engineering – Foundation degree (FdEng) in civil engineering (Fast-track PT) – BMC
- Civil engineering, (3 year) - Foundation degree (FdEng) civil engineering (with CertHE exit award) – SWC
- Civil engineering - Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in civil Engineering - SERC
- Civil engineering & infrastructure - MEng civil engineering - UU
- HLA in civil engineering - BEng Civil Engineering QUB
- HLA in civil engineering – year 2 direct entrants- BEng civil engineering - QUB
Health and social care
- Health and social care - CACHE L5 Diploma in leadership for H&SC services (NI) – SERC
Hospitality and Tourism
- BSc Hons International hospitality management HLA PT- BSc Hons international hospitality management – UU
- Culinary arts – Foundation degree in culinary arts – BMC, SERC
- Culinary arts - Foundation degree in professional practise of culinary arts – SWC
- Event management - Foundation degree (FdSc) in tourism, hospitality & events management with specialism in event management- BMC
- Hospitality and tourism management - hospitality - FdSc in tourism, hospitality & events management – specialism in hospitality – BMC
- Hospitality & tourism management with specialisms- Foundation degree in science in tourism, hospitality & events management with specialisms – SWC
- Hospitality & tourism management, with specialisms – Hospitality - Foundation degree in hospitality, tourism & events management, with specialisms – hospitality - SRC
- Hospitality tourism & events – events management – Foundation degree hospitality, tourism & event management with specialisms – SERC
- Hospitality tourism & events – hospitality – Foundation degree hospitality, tourism & event management with specialisms – SERC
- Hospitality tourism & events – tourism – Foundation degree hospitality, tourism & event management with specialisms – SERC
- Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management – Events management – Foundation degree hospitality, tourism & events management – NWRC
- Hospitality, & tourism and events management - hospitality- Foundation science degree in hospitality, & tourism & events management with specialisms- hospitality- NWRC
- Hospitality, tourism & events management – tourism – Foundation degree hospitality, tourism & events management – NWRC
- Tourism Hospitality & Event Management- Foundation Degree in Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management - NRC
ICT
- BSc (Hons) Digital marketing, advertising communication (top-up) – BSc (Hons) digital marketing, advertising communication (top-up) – SRC
- BSc (Hons) Top-Up in Cyber security with cloud and network infrastructure - BSc cyber security and networking – BMC
- BSc (Hons) Top-Up in software and cloud development with data science - BSc software & cloud application development – BMC
- Cloud computing, analytics and security for industry- Foundation degree in cloud computing, analytics and security for industry- SRC
- Cloud computing technologies- Foundation degree in cloud computing technologies- SERC
- Cloud computing with cyber security – FD cloud computing with cyber security – NRC
- Computing- Foundation degree in science – computing – NRC, SERC
- Computing P/T- Foundation degree in science in computing – SWC
- Computing systems - BSc (Hons) computing systems – UU
- Cyber security & digital forensics- Foundation degree in cyber security & digital forensics- SERC
- Cyber security with cloud and network infrastructure - Foundation degree in cyber security with cloud and network infrastructure – BMC
- Degree Apprenticeship in computer science - BSc Hons computer science -UU
- Digital marketing, advertising and communications – Foundation degree in digital marketing, advertising and communication – SRC
- Financial technology- Level 6 – BSc Hons financial technology– UU
- FinTech - FdSc FinTech – SRC,
- HLA FinTech – FdSc FinTech -NWRC
- HLA in computing - Foundation Degree in computing - NWRC
- Level 6 computing for industry (top up) - BSc (Hons) degree in computing for industry (top-up) – SRC
- Level 6 cyber security & digital forensics - BSc (Hons) in cyber security and digital forensics (Top-up) – SERC
- MSc Artificial intelligence/computer science – MSc artificial intelligence /MSc computer science – UU
- Software and cloud development with data analysis - Foundation degree in cloud development with data analysis – BMC
- Software engineering with digital technology partnership – BEng Software engineering with digital technology partnership - QUB
Leisure and Wellbeing
- Sport and exercise - Foundation degree in sport and exercise - SRC
Life sciences
- Applied industrial science (chemical science) - Foundation degree in applied industrial science (chemical sciences) – SRC
- Applied industrial science (life science) - Foundation degree in applied industrial science (life sciences) – SRC
- Applied pharmaceutical science - BSc(Hons) applied pharmaceutical sciences - UU
- Pharmaceutical analysis - MSc pharmaceutical analysis – QUB
Professional services
- Business management – Foundation degree in business management – NRC
- HLA Business data management - Foundation degree in business data management - BMC
- HLA Leadership & productivity - CMI L5 extended diploma management & leadership, OCN - NI Level 5 diploma in leading quality improvement, Level 5 diploma in leading digital transformation – SERC
- Law apprenticeship – LLB Law (Hons) – UU
Sales and marketing
- Marketing - Foundation degree in science in marketing – BMC
Transport and logistics
- BSc (Hons) in transport & supply chain management – BSc (Hons) degree in transport & supply chain management – SWC
- Supply chain & logistics – FdSc in Logistics & Supply Chain – NRC
- Transport and supply chain management - Foundation degree in transport and supply chain management- SWC
More information
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 just need more information on what the Apprenticeships programme can do for you, contact the mailbox: