We've led the development of an exciting new materials technologist degree apprenticeship at level 6. The new apprenticeship provides a bachelor’s degree qualification and extensive workplace experience, and is available to all students, universities and employers.
The materials technologist degree apprenticeship is:
- designed by a variety of top UK materials and technology businesses
- approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education
- ratified by UK universities
- 48 months in average duration
- a course with 20% of time spent 'off the job' at university.
The materials science technologist role is at the forefront of materials innovation in several industries: advanced and traditional ceramics, pharmaceuticals, engineering, construction and advanced manufacturing. The industries cover numerous sectors, from automotive, aerospace, healthcare, defence, and energy, to mechanical and chemical engineering, material failure, adhesives and polymers.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to ensure materials used in those industries are fit for purpose in terms of product innovation, performance, failure diagnosis, operational management, processing and manufacturing.
A career in materials science can involve testing materials through activities such as investigation, gathering physical evidence, critical analyses, drawing conclusions, and recommending courses of action. Depending on context, technologists may be involved in designing new materials or production processes, combining materials, or additive manufacturing.
Employees can participate in internal or external project teams, provide management and leadership of direct report personnel or cross-functional teams in addition to liaising with clients in a sales role or providing technical consultancy, proof of concept, or scale-up initiatives to a new or existing client base that could comprise of SMEs, large national companies, government agencies, or multinational organisations.
Degree apprentices will gain a wide range of exciting knowledge, skills and behaviours that have been identified by current materials employers to fulfil industry-wide needs and to futureproof careers in material science. Employers have developed this qualification so that it can be customised to work in a variety of industrial contexts and therefore focus on specific materials if necessary, such as advanced ceramics, whiteware ceramics, adhesives, metals or composites.
Although the apprenticeship can focus on specific materials, it also has flexibility and variety built-in.
For further information, please contact Dr Cathryn Hickey, Chief Executive of AMRICC: cathryn.hickey@amricc.com
Alternatively you can register your interest here to be involved in the development of the materials degree apprenticeship.
