AiGroup and the University of South Australia are now recruiting the first cohort of students and employers to participate in a Software Engineering Degree Apprenticeship, beginning next year.
This establishment of this degree apprenticeship was declared by the South Australian Skills Commission and is supported by $450,000 from the South Australian Government. It's an Australian first, blending the benefits of an on-the-job apprenticeship with a university-level qualification.
In 2024, up to 30 Software Engineering Degree Apprenticeship students will be paid to attend work and study at university. Those who successfully complete the five-year apprenticeship will receive their degree and a trade certificate.
Degree apprenticeships are already being successfully delivered across the United Kingdom, with this model demonstrating a high rate of graduate retention and completion.
The South Australian iteration is one of more than 20 workforce initiatives detailed in the SA Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Report, funded by government and designed in partnership with industry to build the pipeline of skilled workers required to fulfil major shipbuilding and other defence industry projects.
It is expected that the degree apprenticeship model, once established in South Australia, could soon be rolled out to further qualifications and industries, fast-tracking the development of work-ready university graduates.
