Earn, learn, lead: The women redefining career pathways

Northumbria University

www.northumbria.ac.uk

www.northumbria.ac.uk/apprenticeships

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Across the North East, women are using apprenticeships to gain qualifications, confidence and career momentum while earning and learning at the same time.

From civil engineering to quantity surveying, these programmes are opening doors to industries that have historically lacked gender diversity.

While females account for just 17 per cent of those studying ABE-related apprenticeships nationally (EngineeringUK), Northumbria is bucking the trend, with 27 per cent of its ABE apprentices being female.

One such success story is Isabelle Hewitt, now a senior quantity surveyor at Esh Group.

Isabelle began her degree apprenticeship with Northumbria University in 2017 and graduated in 2022.

Since then, she has achieved multiple promotions and now mentors trainees entering the industry.

She says: “Degree apprenticeships provide a foundation of knowledge that opens doors to opportunities.”

“Being able to apply what you learn directly in the workplace builds confidence and accelerates career progression.”

Employers are also seeing clear benefits.

Beth Swainston, training manager at Bowburn-headquartered Esh Group, says: “Degree apprentices bring up-to-date academic knowledge, enthusiasm and a strong work ethic.”

“Apprentices add value from an early stage and often go on to mentor others, strengthening our workforce in the long term.”

Another inspiring example is Amelia Bewick, a civil engineering degree apprentice at Northumbria University and now assistant cost manager at Turner & Townsend.

After completing her A-levels and feeling uncertain about a traditional university route, Amelia discovered degree apprenticeships as a way to gain qualifications while earning.

Since starting her programme, she has worked on major infrastructure projects including water treatment works and procurement programmes.

This has given her hands-on experience alongside academic study in structural analysis, geotechnics and transportation design.

She says: “These experiences have boosted my confidence and professional skills.”

“I’ve been trusted with real responsibility, and I can see a clear pathway for my career.”

The Government’s recent commitment to expanding apprenticeship and T-Level placements reflects the same ambitions championed by Northumbria University through its involvement in the Reinvention campaign, led by Ryder Architecture.

The initiative calls for a more collaborative, inclusive and skills-led approach to educating the future built environment workforce.

“Over ten years, Northumbria University has trained 4019 apprentices and worked with 672 employers.”

By strengthening alignment between educators and employers, this model embeds practical, interdisciplinary learning while widening access to professional careers.

These priorities are closely linked to national goals around productivity, social mobility and economic growth.

Northumbria University is also deepening its regional impact through alliances with organisations including Education Partnership North East.

This relationship supports initiatives that are creating clearer pathways from post-16 education into industry.

The university is also working with the newly announced North East Construction Technical Excellence College as the only university partner collaborating directly with further education providers in this space.

Through this partnership, Northumbria is helping to raise the standard of teaching across the construction and housing sectors.

It is working directly with educators to ensure that real industry expertise is reflected in the classroom and that training keeps pace with the demands of a rapidly changing built environment.

This year’s International Women’s Day also marked a major milestone for Northumbria University as it celebrated ten years of delivering higher and degree apprenticeships that are transforming careers, strengthening organisations and building the workforce of tomorrow.

Over the past decade, the university has worked closely with employers to deliver flexible, high-quality programmes across a wide range of sectors.

These programmes enable learners to gain full undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications while developing practical workplace skills.

As Northumbria celebrates ten years of apprenticeship excellence, it is inviting employers and prospective learners to explore real-life case studies demonstrating the impact of apprenticeships on workforce development, staff retention and long-term career progression.

Northumbria University

Applications for September 2026 are now open and must be submitted by June 30.

To learn more about Northumbria University’s higher and degree apprenticeships, visit the websites at the top of this article or call 0191 215 6300.