Oxford University Press (OUP) are a global publisher who have been around since the birth of printing 500 years ago. Since 2020 they have embraced degree apprenticeships, with over 200 of their staff using them to learn new skills and gain a qualification.

They also recruit new talent through their partnership with Sheffield Hallam, with a new digital design apprentice currently working in the team.

We spoke to OUP’s Learning and Development Adviser and Apprenticeships Lead Lucy Goodman about how apprenticeships are benefiting their business.

Why do you participate in apprenticeships at Oxford University Press?

Apprenticeships are a wonderful way of taking newfound knowledge and applying it directly to a role.

For us as a publisher, we are in a time of digital transformation. As we become more data-focused, it’s vital that our staff have the latest digital skills. It also develops our leadership and management talent.

Why did you choose Sheffield Hallam for your apprenticeships?

We work with Sheffield Hallam on two of their degree apprenticeships — Creative Digital Design, and Digital User Experience.

We use Sheffield Hallam because their delivery of the qualifications is outstanding. I have a great working relationship with the employability team there, and, to put it crudely, we get a lot for our money!

What sets Sheffield Hallam apart from other providers?

We have found that a very large proportion of degree apprenticeship providers use only virtual delivery, so it’s all online. With Sheffield Hallam, each apprentice spends ten days at the university receiving vital face to face contact.

It means they can network and connect with people working in similar roles in different organisations and sectors, which can be incredibly valuable. They share ideas and best practice with their peers. One of our apprentices even asked someone they met to be their mentor.

You recently employed a new apprentice in your creative digital design team. How did the recruitment process work?

We had an initial meeting with the employability team at Sheffield Hallam and the line manager here at Oxford University Press, to make sure the role aligned with the apprenticeship, and to make sure we got the right calibre of person applying for the role.

Sheffield Hallam then advertised the post and narrowed it down to a field of talented people, who we then interviewed and ultimately recruited from. It was a very easy, streamlined process.

What do apprenticeships bring to your business?

They enable us to capture a pool of talents we wouldn't have considered in the first place. I think employers can sometimes be guilty of asking for people with loads of experience who can hit the ground running straight away, but it means they could be missing out on so many fantastic people who want to learn on the job.

They come in and bring this fresh thinking and apply the newest ways of working to our business. It’s an absolute wealth of knowledge and it keeps us current and up-and-coming. And compared to traditional graduate recruitment, they’re not just getting our own training but also the wider knowledge of the university.

What successes have your degree apprentices helped your business achieve?

We've seen some fantastic awards, and there have been some great initiatives instigated by our apprentices. One did their final work around the menopause, and she has implemented a whole new process and set of policies around that in our organisation.

Other apprentices have been able to take their learning and connect it with the wider business to really make a difference. They have highlighted areas where some efficiencies can be made or found things we can improve. It's wonderful to use these apprenticeships as a catalyst for organisational change.

Would you recommend taking on apprentices to other businesses?

I would 100% recommend apprenticeships and Sheffield Hallam University as a provider. The service we've had from the university has been fantastic, the way the apprenticeships are delivered is brilliant and the people have always been so easy to work with.

We’re a fast-paced, constantly changing organisation, and in that context you need rapport with someone you can rely on, and that’s what we have with Sheffield Hallam.