Cranfield was the first university in the UK to offer degree apprenticeships at Master’s level. The EMBA has been designed to meet the requirements of the new level 7 strategic leadership master's degree apprenticeship.

Professor Paul Baines, director of the Cranfield EMBA programme said: ‘The apprenticeship levy comes into force in April this year and will see all organisations with a pay bill greater than £3m having to pay a 0.5% levy on their pay bill. This money can then be used to fund apprenticeship training for new or existing staff.

‘If they do not spend the money within 24 months, government will remove the money from the employer’s apprenticeship account.  It will be a case of use it or lose it!’

Grant Thornton and Cranfield will work with employers impacted by the apprenticeship levy who wish to make best use of their contributions and allowance by enrolling high-potential employees and investing in up-skilling their talent base.

The part-time programme runs over two years and offers a mix of academic theory, commercial insights and practical application.

Sacha Romanovitch, CEO of Grant Thornton UK, said: ‘This collaboration brings to bear the very best of the academic and commercial worlds and sits at the heart of our purpose of helping to shape a vibrant economy by building trust and integrity in markets, unlocking growth in dynamic organisations, and creating environments where business and people thrive.

‘Through this MBA programme we will develop a distinctive community of individuals that have the skills, know-how and confidence to stand out from the crowd through their ability to lead innovation, deliver social impact and empower their people to drive optimum results.’

Cranfield University is holding an event on 10 March to provide more information about its masterships.

Details are here: https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/events/events-2017/develop-your-workforce-wi...