Eight college apprentices have completed a degree in partnership with an Accrington-based product design company.

Lydia Pilling, Kai Booth, Patrick Fleming, Alexander Crowe, Kate O’Connor, Jamie McCann, Rhiannon Copple, Charlie Spencer, are the first students to complete the new programme in collaboration with Senator which began at Blackburn College in September 2018.

The eight students are in the process of completing the apprenticeship part of their degree and have entered the gateway stage where staff from Senator and college will review each student’s knowledge, skills and behaviour before the students then complete an End Point Assessment.

Jamie McCann, 25, from Preston, worked as a Production Process Manager whilst completing the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship and will complete his chartership with the rest of the cohort later this year once they have completed the apprenticeship part of their degree.

He said: “I didn’t know what I wanted to do after finishing college. I didn’t really fancy the idea of going to university and I thought a business management apprenticeship would be perfect to help start me on a career path.”

Senator Operations Director Tony Berry added: “The value to Senator of the undergraduate business apprenticeship with degree qualification, has allowed us to position talent into key areas of the operation.

“The project has been a huge success and all 10 candidates have their degree qualification with just their apprenticeship to be finalised.”