World's first supply chain leader apprenticeship set for 2018 launch

The Employer Group at the Supply Chain Academy

The world’s first apprenticeship leading to supply chain leadership roles is set to launch early next year.

Some 25 organisations and several universities teamed with Uniserve Group and the Supply Chain Academy, which led the initiative.

The Supply Chain Leadership Professional Integrated Degree Apprenticeship will train students both through academic learning, which will take up 20% of the time, and on-the-job training. The cost will be shared between the UK government and employers.

“This is a long-awaited work-based career route that will ensure that the UK is well-equipped to deal with the increasing complexities of global trade during and post-Brexit,” said Paul Stone, Uniserve Group’s HR director and director of the Supply Chain Academy.

Noting that employers were increasingly calling for greater skills in the industry, he added: “Our aim for this degree apprenticeship is to professionalise the industry. We expect it to go a long way towards addressing the growing skills and management gap in the supply chain sector, and achieving this qualification should provide employers with confidence that the individual has the required understanding of the ‘end-to-end’ supply chain at a leadership level”.

Apprentices must be over 16 years old, and may need up to five GCSEs at grades A*-C. They will be given full-time employment status and receive at least apprenticeship minimum wage.

The initiative has gathered pace since the government introduced its Apprenticeship Levy – a tax on businesses with a payroll in excel of £3m – which will raise an estimated £2.5bn for apprenticeships.

For more information about the supply chain degree apprenticeship, please  visit www.supplychainacademy.org.uk/degree-apprenticeship .