Apprenticeships are an excellent choice if you want to gain hands-on experience while working towards a long-term role in a specific company, and traditional universities offer a broader academic experience that can open doors to a wider range of opportunities. But they’re not the only path to career success...
Why work with just one employer, when you can work with a wide range of industry, community, and sector employers? We’ll tell you why.
Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said
'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime'.
Different context, same principle.
- Work with one employer in an apprenticeship and you’ll help find a solution to their specific challenges.
- Work with multiple employers - across industries, sectors, and communities - you’ll build a multi-faceted understanding of real-world problems, how they arise, and how to solve them effectively.
That’s what an integrated engineer at NMITE does.
The NMITE Difference
At NMITE, learning isn’t just about textbooks and theory – it’s about solving real challenges alongside a wide network of real employers. Our engineers are taught to be problem solvers who consider context, ethics, economics, and sustainability. They ask the right questions, aiming to deliver the best solutions.
An Integrated Engineer might even ask: Did the man actually ask for a fish in the first place?
But, this isn’t about pitting an apprenticeship up against a degree – both have their place. It’s about making an informed choice. And when it comes to an NMITE degree, the right information is especially important. Historically, a ‘traditional’ university degree might not have seemed like the best option for becoming career ready.
We’re here to change that narrative. Let’s challenge some misconceptions, shall we?
Apprenticeship vs University: Challenging Misconceptions
Both apprenticeships and degrees give me industry recognised qualifications.
Correct! But with NMITE, you’ll also be given exposure to a multi-employer portfolio and an unbeatable network of industry and community contacts.
I’ll complete an apprenticeship faster than I will a degree.
Not necessarily. Apprenticeships can take anywhere from 1-5 years. An NMITE degree can be completed in as little as 28 months – and you’ll be career ready too.
An apprenticeship will give me ‘on the job’ training.
True. However, at NMITE you’ll delve into the world of project management, and get hands-on with real, employer driven challenges throughout every module. With opportunities for work experience too. It’s all about building that multi-employer portfolio early on, so you get a much greater idea of various industries, how they work, and where you can go in your career.
An apprenticeship will allow me to build practical skills.
That’s right. But hear us out. Although ‘traditional’ degrees might not provide you with as many hands-on opportunities, NMITE will. You’ll develop practical skills consistently throughout every module, but better still, you’ll know how to apply them to different problems. The worlds multi-faceted – you need to be too!
I don’t need to pay tuition fees to do an apprenticeship.
Correct. But they can have hidden costs, and salaries vary. Tuition fees might seem daunting, but student loans have pay back thresholds and different plans are available dependant on your circumstances.
With NMITE’s accelerated degrees, you’ll save on cost compared to studying at many other universities. Not to mention, we’re always adding to our range of generous scholarships and bursaries to make your education accessible.
I don’t have the right qualifications for a degree.
We hear you. And historically that may have been the case. But here’s the good bit – you don’t need Maths or Physics at A-level to study an NMITE degree (we’ll teach you what you need to know, and how to apply it!), and we also consider prior relevant work experience, and offer Foundation year options on all our degrees.
So, what’s next?
Hopefully, we’ve helped clear a few things up! If you’re interested in a career-ready degree that’s hands-on, multi-disciplinary, and employer-driven, find out more about the NMITE difference, here.
