The first Executive MBA programme in England to use the Apprenticeship Levy has today commenced at Cranfield School of Management. 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 a world-class management education which may previously have been inaccessible.
The programme will be delivered through a partnership between Cranfield School of Management and leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP. The partnership combines the best of academic insight and commercial application.
The announcement of the first cohort’s arrival follows the approval of the Level 7 Senior Leader Masters Degree Apprenticeship Standard by the Institute for Apprenticeships, which the Executive MBA will adhere too. 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 adds to the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship, which was launched in November 2015, and the team leader and operational manager apprenticeships launched in June 2016, providing a progression route for employers to invest in managers at all levels.
Since the launch of the Cranfield School of Management/Grant Thornton UK LLP partnership in March, hundreds of businesses have expressed interest in using their Apprenticeship Levy to invest in leadership and management skills through the Executive MBA.
Professor Paul Baines, Professor of Political Marketing and Director, Executive MBA at the Cranfield School of Management said:
“I’m delighted that Cranfield are today welcoming the first-ever cohort of Executive MBA students in England through the Apprenticeship Levy. As one of the first business schools to offer an MBA, it is only fitting that once again we are breaking new ground in management education by offering an MBA Mastership.”
“Since the launch of the programme in March, we have been inundated with businesses eager to learn how they can use their Apprenticeship Levy funds to access world-class management education.”
Justin Rix, Partner at Grant Thornton UK LLP, added: “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.”
Please contact Julian Greenaway, Service Delivery Manager for the Cranfield Executive MBA at Grant Thornton, on 07920 286 763 or email him on julian.greenaway@uk.gt.com for more information
