WMG, at the University of Warwick, has launched a new Masters programme with Royal Mail Group designed to develop leadership talent in technology-based industries.
A wide range of Royal Mail Group staff, from all levels of management, will be the first participants in this new programme.
In total, 25 Royal Mail Group staff enrolled with WMG for the three-year development programme, which will enable the participants to gain a Leadership and Management focussed MSc from the University of Warwick.
The programme is aligned to the Level 7 Senior Leader Masters Degree Apprenticeship standard.
The three-year part-time programme combines workplace learning with block release study at WMG in eight one-week study modules, each followed by a work-based assignment plus a work-based project. The programme is made up of core and elective modules, giving participants the opportunity to develop specialisations of particular relevance to their current role and future career aspirations. It will lead to a University of Warwick MSc and a Degree Apprenticeship.
Next year this Master’s programme will be open to staff from a range of other businesses.
The Royal Mail Group cohorts will come from right across the UK, and from a range of roles such as Royal Mail technical/engineering services and logistics management, and will also include some senior managers from Parcelforce Worldwide. The participants will bring a range of experience – some will be graduates, some not, some will be relatively new to the business while others will have over twenty-five years of experience.
A spokesperson for Royal Mail Group said: “This initiative will give us new tools and techniques to help develop our people’s skills, support the aspiring next generation of talent and make leaders of future."
WMG Chairman Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya added: “I myself served a graduate apprenticeship at Lucas Industries so I’m delighted to see government and business working together to provide many more Degree Apprenticeships funded through the apprenticeship levy.
“A great many businesses appreciate that apprenticeships are a powerful means of creating and inspiring a highly skilled and passionate workforce.”
WMG’s Director of Apprenticeships Sue Parr said: “We are delighted that Royal Mail has chosen WMG to help train its apprentices. WMG is already successfully delivering programmes to partners such as Dyson, Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, and GE Aviation and the lead shown by all these companies will, I have no doubt, inspire many more to seek to empower and train their employees through Degree Apprenticeship and related programmes in partnership with leading technology business research and educational organisations such as WMG.”