University supports UK drive in upskilling staff with launch of project management course

With Covid-19 underlining the need to restructure and retrain staff in the workplace*, York St John University (YSJ) has unveiled its latest degree apprenticeship – BSc (Hons) Project Management – which will officially launch in October 2021.

Designed to develop the managerial skills and capabilities required by those responsible for delivering projects that are critical to business success, the course can be completed in less than three years at YSJ, subject to applicants having existing prior knowledge and relevant experience.

YSJ aims to highlight the benefits of upskilling employees and the advantages this can have for businesses. The course team has extensive knowledge of the subject, with years of academic and industry experience as project managers.
Brendan Paddison, Associate Dean of York Business School, said: “Our October intake will be the first time we offer a degree apprenticeship of this nature. Businesses are eager to get back to normality and so many have identified the priorities being placed on workforce training and upskilling as a route to success.”

Project management has been a critical business discipline for decades and with the fast paced societal, environmental, economic and technological changes on the horizon, employers must consider the changing nature of work and how to adapt its staff.

Paddison continues: “Projects come in all shapes and sizes and every organisation and industry will deal with some form of project management. Our degree apprenticeship works hand-in-hand with on-the-job work and having practical experience will ensure apprentices are successful in their studies and training.”

The University delivers a range of apprenticeship programmes from its York and London campuses to a broad and diverse range of industry sectors. This includes the new Senior Leaders Apprenticeship for upskilling team leaders and managers which YSJ offers with an optional Executive MBA top-up.

Apprenticeship courses are suitable for A Level students and above and allow apprentices to ‘earn while they learn’ and gain a degree or level 7 qualification. Businesses interested in enrolling members of their workforce in the apprenticeship programme can contact the team at [email protected].