For the first time employers in England, who pay the apprenticeship levy, are able to access their levy funds to pay for employees to access management education which may previously have been inaccessible.

The announcement of the first cohort’s arrival follows the approval of the level seven senior leader masters degree apprenticeship standard by the Institute for Apprenticeships, which the executive MBA will follow.

This new apprenticeship has been developed by a group of more than 30 employers led by Serco and Civil Service Learning, and supported by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). It follows on from earlier standards covering adds to team leader and operational manager apprenticeships, and is designed to provide a progression route for employers to invest in managers at all levels.

Since the launch of the Cranfield School of Management/Grant Thornton UK partnership in March, the two organisations report interest from hundreds of businesses in using their apprenticeship levy to invest in leadership and management skills through the executive MBA.

Justin Rix, partner at Grant Thornton UK, said: ‘The levels of interest and enthusiasm in the programme are a testament to the fact that leaders in the public, private and third sectors recognise the critical need to upskill their people to drive productivity, growth and ensure sustainable, long-term results. This MBA programme offers a distinct opportunity for employers to do so in a way that’s beneficial to their people, their organisation and the wider economy.’

 Report by Pat Sweet