The Keele Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence (KIITE) is welcoming expressions of interest from both professional services and academic staff for Keele’s Academic Professional Apprenticeship (APA), a 15-month postgraduate-level award aimed at individuals who support learners in higher education. Further details about the programme are available on the APA webpages.

On successful completion of the APA, participants receive a triple award: the national, Level 7 ’Academic Professional’ status as well as Keele University’s Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching, and Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

Participants who successfully apply for a place will be expected to spend 20% of their time studying on the programme, participating in synchronous and asynchronous activities.

To apply for a place on the September 2022 cohort, please send your expression of interest to kiite@keele.ac.uk by 14 January 2022 with the subject line ‘Expression of Interest APA’. Your expression of interest should take the form of a 500-word personal statement detailing why you would like to complete the APA, and a short statement of support from your line manager. In your expression of interest, please confirm that you have read and meet the eligibility criteria below.

To be eligible for the scheme you must:

• Be able to provide evidence of L2 English and Maths at grade 4 or C or above (eg GCSE certificates or equivalent) by September 2022
• Have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for three years by the time you start the APA (September 2022)
• Must be in a role where you support learners and have opportunities to be involved in the delivery of teaching (broadly defined and as appropriate to local contexts). Following receipt of expressions of interest, KIITE will organise a meeting to explore this aspect in more detail
• Hold a Keele University contract of employment which, in the case of fixed-term appointments, extends to at least December 2023
• Work at least 0.8 FTE but preferably full time
• Be on either a professional services or academic contract (education and/or research)
• Have the support of your line manager

Please note that new Grade 7 lecturers take the APA as part of their probation and will be invited to register for the programme separately. This expression of interest is for other staff interested in the APA, eg professional services staff, Teaching Fellows, or any others who stand to acquire new skills and knowledge from the programme and whose roles involve supporting our students.

Questions can be directed to f.nereo@keele.ac.uk

The programme comes at no cost to the participant.

Additional routes of study are available for those working on a part-time or fractional contract