Degree Apprenticeship Summer Intensive
Four days.
Real progress. Real outcomes.
Don't get left behind. Kickstart their summer apprenticeship preparation.
For families with a young person in Years 12 or 13 who is serious about degree apprenticeships and wants to leave the summer with the skills and evidence they need to be a serious contender when roles open in the autumn.
27-30 July 2026.
Only twelve places available.
The Problem
Your child says they want a degree apprenticeship. You believe them. You have probably already had the conversation about avoiding £60,000 of debt, and you both know there is real opportunity here.
So you wait for September, and you assume the summer will sort itself out.
Here is what actually happens instead.
The first problem: the summer passes with good intentions and nothing to show for it.
Most students spend July and August meaning to do something. A few browse job boards. Nobody builds anything an employer can actually see.
By September, the only thing that has changed is the calendar.
The second problem: the activities that happen are random.
A bit of work experience here. A short course there. None of it points anywhere in particular, because nobody has told your child what a degree apprenticeship application actually rewards.
Effort without direction does not build a competitive profile.
The third problem: advice without implementation is not enough.
An hour of good content, then your child closes the laptop and the day ends there. Nothing gets made. Nothing gets finished.
Listening to good advice and producing something from it are two different things, and only one of them shows up on an application.
None of this is your child's fault. Nobody has ever sat them down, shown them how the process works, and then made sure that intentional preparation gets done.
The problem is not motivation. Your child probably has plenty of that.
The problem is that motivation needs somewhere to go.
Most summer courses give your child information and leave the doing entirely up to them.
This programme works the other way round. Every morning's teaching is followed, that same day, by real, hands-on work, building the exact piece of evidence the session was about.
By the time your child closes their laptop each evening, something has been made. Real progress.
It is also kept deliberately small. Twelve places, so Sandra can personally see what each young person actually produces, not just deliver content to a crowd.
Sandra Davis - Careers and Employability Specialist
Sandra Davis is a careers and employability specialist, Chartered Manager Fellow, and licensed Morrisby Career Profiling practitioner. She founded OneBigNext after 30 years across education, leadership, and technology, having worked in state schools, independent schools, a special school, and higher education, and before that in corporate roles at Deloitte and in software engineering.
She built OneBigNext because she kept seeing the same thing: capable young people missing out on competitive opportunities, not through lack of ability, but through lack of understanding of the systems, and lack of knowledge of how to position themselves effectively for success .
The Degree Apprenticeship Summer Intensive is the most effective way for your child to prepare intentionally for competitive degree apprenticeship applications opening from September 2026.
This is the Degree Apprenticeship Summer Intensive
This is not four days of generic careers advice, and it is not a resource library your child will open once and forget.
It is a live, hands-on programme.
Each morning, a live teaching session.
Each afternoon, your child builds something real from it: a profile, a plan, an audit, a credential.
By day four, your child has not been told what a strong application looks like. They have started creating the skills and evidence that they will need.
Each intake is capped at twelve places.
What's Included
Early Bird Bonus: Comprehensive Career Profiling Assessment & 60-minute 1:1 Career Coaching Session
Before the programme starts, every participant who books by Friday 10th July completes a comprehensive career profiling assessment, then has a 60-minute 1:1 career coaching session with Sandra to agree on the most suitable pathway.
By the time day one begins, your child already has a clear, evidence-based direction, not a guess.
For all bookings made by Friday 10th July 2026, midnight.
Day 1: Commit, Clarify, Start
Monday 27 July 2026, 10am - 11am
Live teaching covering how competitive the apprenticeship market actually is, how to apply your child's career profile to a real pathway choice, and target companies to research that afternoon.
The outcome: Their Target Profile Statement, naming the chosen pathway, the specific reasons behind it, what the role involves, the skills it demands, and where your child is starting from, written and finished that same afternoon alongside notes on the companies researched.
By the end of day one, your child has a clear, agreed direction, potential degree apprenticeship employers identified, and a finished statement that proves both.
Bonus Session: Create Your LinkedIn Standout Profile
Monday 27 July 2026, 11am - 12pm
Live teaching, straight after the day one kickstart session, a bonus dedicated hour walking through exactly how to build a strong LinkedIn profile, headline, summary and all.
The outcome: A live, complete LinkedIn profile, built by your child today - ready for use in Day 2 onwards.
Day 2: What Employers Want
Tuesday 28 July 2026, 10am - 11am
Live teaching on the real selection criteria employers use, and the genuine difference between strong and weak candidates.
The outcome: The Skills and Experience Audit, five named development priorities, and a first real step taken that same day on the top priority.
By the end of day two, your child does not just know what to work on. They are now making tangible progress on the priority that matters most.
Day 3: Build a Standout Skills and Evidence Bank
Wednesday 29 July 2026, 10am - 11am
Live teaching on choosing summer activities with intent rather than at random.
Today's build: a Personal Summer Action Plan, sequencing the remaining priorities from day two, plus one genuine action taken that day, applying, enrolling, or progressing a course. By the end of day three, the plan exists, and it is already in motion.
Day 4: Prepare for the Application Process
Thursday 30 July 2026, 10am - 11am
Live teaching: A practical look at applications, online tests, interviews and assessment centres, and why candidates succeed or fail at each stage.
The outcome: Their finished Application Preparation Plan and a completed Excel micro-credential.
Personal Pathway Course
Every student works through a course relevant to their chosen pathway, building it up day by day alongside the core programme, and completing it, or making good progress (depending on course length) by the final day.
"Sandra really helped me to not only learn the framework, such as the STAR method, but how to actively apply them within my interview process. I can now happily sit here and say that I have accepted a degree apprenticeship offer and couldn't be more grateful for Sandra's help and support along the way."
Seren, Age 18, Marketing Degree Apprentice
"She has real insights, I would say, into neurodiverse young people, helping them to understand what their strengths are and crucially to be able to communicate those in the [...] very involved application for degree apprenticeships: the interviews, the telephone interviews, the assessment centres. [...] She's invaluable."
Bethan F, Head of Bright Futures (Careers)
Who This Is For
- You are the parent of a young person in Year 12 or 13 who is serious about a degree apprenticeship, not just curious about one.
- Your child has not built anything concrete yet, and the summer is starting to feel like it will pass without action.
- Your child has started looking into apprenticeships independently and feels overwhelmed by where to begin.
- You want your child to arrive at September with highly relevant skills and evidence, not just renewed enthusiasm.
- Your child is willing to roll up their sleeves each afternoon and build something, not just sit through a session.
Who This Is Not For
- Families who are not yet committed to degree apprenticeships as a route, and are still exploring options broadly.
- Young people who want to watch and absorb without doing the hands-on work each day. This programme is built around what gets made, not just what gets explained.
- Families looking for a guaranteed offer. Sandra prepares your child to compete strongly in competitive applications. Final decisions rest with employers.
Your Investment
The Degree Apprenticeship Summer Intensive: £495
Deliverables:
- Free early bird bonus: Full career profiling assessment and a 60-minute 1:1 career coaching session with Sandra to agree the best pathway. Book by FRIDAY 10 JULY.
- Four live 60-minute sessions, 10–11am, 27th to 30th July 2026
- Free bonus session: Create Your LinkedIn Standout Profile, Monday 27 July 11am-12pm.
- Hands-on, guided work each afternoon, turning every session straight into something finished.
- All sessions recorded for on-demand access.
- Completion of a pathway-relevant course and a Excel micro-credential.
- Four LinkedIn posts, published across the programme.
- A clear application preparation plan with clear ongoing actions.
Course limited to 12 young people to ensure quality.
Our families say
"After applying for many degree apprenticeships, my daughter was getting disheartened with the whole process. Sandra was supportive, knowledgeable, and really knew how to bring out the best in her. She has now received an offer. We're so grateful."
Taryn, parent of 18-year-old Marketing Degree Apprentice
"It's fair to say that my daughter Jessie struggled with mainstream education. She wanted to pursue a degree apprenticeship in cybersecurity or technology. Together we came up with a focused and well-paced plan to prepare Jessie. This included a no-pressure site visit to her employer of choice, help with applications, and interview practice with managers in a similar industry. Jessie is now in the 3rd year of her degree apprenticeship. She enjoys the purpose and routine of work and is developing her social skills, her friendship circle, and confidence every day."
Lulu, mum of neurodiverse 21-year-old Cyber Degree Apprentice
"Sandra worked with him, helping him focus in on companies that matched his skill set, developing his confidence and skills in writing applications and showing him the importance of making human links with organisations he was looking to apply to. She worked with him on creating a LinkedIn profile and using LinkedIn to build connections. She suggested extra things he could do to stand out. When it came to interviews, Sandra coached him on interview technique through practice interviews, videoing of these and developing self-evaluation."
Jo, parent of 20-year-old Data Scientist
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What exactly is the Degree Apprenticeship Summer Intensive?
It is a four day live programme for young people in Years 12 and 13 who are serious about degree apprenticeships. Each day pairs a live teaching session with hands-on, guided work that turns the morning's teaching into something finished by the evening.
Q: Is this only for degree apprenticeships?
The focus is degree apprenticeships, but everything covered is equally relevant to Level 3, 4 and 5 apprenticeship routes.
Q: How much work is involved each day?
At least 3 hours each day. This is not a watch-and-absorb programme. Each session is followed by guided work that produces a real, finished piece of evidence: a profile, a plan, an audit with the top priority already acted on, a credential. The specific tasks are set and guided as the programme runs, tailored to keep your child building, not just listening.
Q: Why only twelve places?
Because every participant produces real, individual work each day, and Sandra reviews it. A maximum of 12 participants maintains a high quality experience.
Q: My child has no apprenticeship knowledge yet. Is that a problem?
No. This programme exists precisely for students who have not built evidence yet. By day four, your child has real material to show, regardless of where they started.
Q: What's the Create Your LinkedIn Standout Profile session, and is it included?
It's a free bonus hour on day one, straight after the main teaching session, from 11am to 12pm.
Sandra explains exactly how to build a strong LinkedIn profile. Your child then builds it themselves, the same day, using the instructions given. It's included in the £495 fee at no extra cost.
Q: What's included if I book before 10th July?
Bookings made by Friday 10th July include a free career profiling assessment and a 60-minute 1:1 coaching session with Sandra, completed before the programme starts. This gives your child a clear, evidence-based direction before day one even begins. Bookings made after that date go straight into the four-day programme without this pre-work bonus.
Q: What if my child can't attend a live session?
Every session is recorded and shared, so your child can catch up and revisit content whenever they need to. The day's work still needs to be built on schedule.
Q: My child is neurodiverse. Is this programme suitable?
Yes. Sandra has worked with young people with a wide range of needs, including those who do not respond well in high-stakes situations. The pace and approach can be shaped around your child.
Q: We have already done a 1:1 session with Sandra. Does that change anything?
Yes. If your child has already completed a 1:1 session with Sandra this year, the programme is available at a reduced rate.
Get in touch to discuss: [email protected].
Q: How do we get started?
You can book now at the top of this page.
Get in touch if you have any questions: [email protected].
Ready to secure your child's place?
Your child has the ambition. This programme makes sure something gets built from it, every day of the programme, and onwards across the summer break.
Four days in July, focused outcomes.
Your child arrives at September with the relevant skills, relevant evidence, and a detailed plan ready to apply for the most suitable degree apprenticeships as they open from September onwards.
Twelve places only.