The Digital & Technology Solutions degree apprenticeship, explained properly
A full BSc (Hons) and four years of paid experience in software, data, cyber, networks or IT consulting — with no tuition fees. This site covers the Digital and technology solutions professional standard (ST0119) end to end: the official content, the assessment, every university that delivers it, and what it's actually like from the inside.
What it is, in one paragraph
You're employed full-time in a technology role from day one, earning a salary, while a partner university delivers a bachelor's degree alongside the job — typically over 48 months (about 4 years). The degree is integrated: it can only be awarded together with the apprenticeship, and the programme ends with an independent end-point assessment built around a real workplace project. Your employer and the government cover the training through the apprenticeship levy (the funding band is £27,000), you pay no tuition, and you're not even eligible for a student loan — there's nothing to borrow for.
Start here
The standard, decoded
What the official document actually says: duties, the 139 knowledge, skill and behaviour requirements, entry requirements, and what you graduate with.
The 6 specialisms
Every DTS apprentice follows one of six options. What each one means day-to-day, and how to think about choosing.
Inside the course
What you actually study, year by year — from first lines of Python to Django, security and the final synoptic project.
The end-point assessment
How the apprenticeship actually finishes: gateway, the 6,000-word project report, the portfolio, and how grading works.
Who actually hires DTS apprentices
Banks, tech firms, consultancies, defence, retail and government — with careers pages and past adverts for each.
36 universities deliver it
Every university registered for the Level 6 standard, with links to check delivery models and employer partners.
Live vacancies
Current adverts on the government service — plus why most DTS places never appear there, and where to look instead.
Live right now
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IT Degree Apprentice
Inpress Precision · LITTLEHAMPTON (BN17 7AU) · £17,500 a year
Training provider: The University of Chichester
Closes in 7 days (Friday 31 July 2026 at 11:59pm) · starts 1 September 2026 -
Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprentice
The Sheffield College · South Yorkshire (S2 2RL) · £33,160 a year
Training provider: Sheffield Hallam University
Closes in 9 days (Sunday 2 August 2026 at 11:59pm) · starts 1 September 2026 -
Cyber Security Degree Apprentice
Ttp · Royston (SG8 6HQ) · Competitive
Training provider: University of Hertfordshire
Closes today at 11:59pm · starts 28 September 2026
Live adverts from the government's Find an apprenticeship service, checked 2026-07-24. Closing dates are hard cut-offs — apply on the official service.
From the main site
The Apprentice Route covers degree apprenticeships generally — these guides pair well with this site:
Degree apprenticeship vs university: an honest comparison after doing both
What you actually gain, what you actually lose, and who each route genuinely suits — from someone who did four years of both at once.
What a degree apprenticeship assessment centre is actually like
The stages, what assessors mark in group exercises, the competency questions that always come up, and being visibly 17 in a room of graduates.
The degree apprenticeship application timeline, month by month
September applications to a September start: when things open, when the long silences happen, and when you need housing sorted.
How to actually find degree apprenticeships worth applying to
Where the listings live, employer sites vs aggregators, why good ones close early, and building a shortlist beyond the famous four employers.