Rolls Royce Motor Cars degree apprentice on ‘valuable experience and knowledge’ learned at university

Ben Thorne studied BA (Hons) Management as part of his Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, where he works as a Quality Management Systems (QMS) Specialist. He graduated in January 2025.

Can you tell us about your role at Rolls Royce and what your day to day job involves?

I now work in a department within the quality function of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The department’s main focus is quality management systems (QMS), but also includes test equipment calibration and conformity of production. My main responsibilities include steering and controlling vehicles through the conformity of production process as well as conducting various tests on the vehicles. I also develop new digital initiatives for the organisation to help promote and develop our QMS. I’m very lucky as my daily routine always brings a new challenge and activity.

How has taking a degree apprenticeship helped you to get to where you are today?

I was able to develop my experience and understanding of the business in a much more extensive way than I would have if I was just here for a year as an intern, for example. Throughout the four years of being a degree apprentice I was able to complete placements in over 10 departments, including an international placement in Germany.

Why did you decide to take the degree apprenticeship route?

A family friend had done a degree apprenticeship, and as I did some research and learnt more about them, I realised that it complimented my learning style perfectly. As somebody who likes to see how something works in reality, I found the degree apprenticeship really beneficial, as I could learn content at university one day and then the next day come into work and see how it is implemented in the workplace.

What’s the most useful thing you’ve learned during your time at university?

Within university, the most useful thing I learned was how to manage my time. There were points during my apprenticeship where I would be balancing completing three assignments whilst also working and having tasks to complete in work. Whilst this was a challenge, it really helped me to develop effective time management skills and learn how to deliver successful outcomes to set deadlines.

What advice would you give someone considering a degree apprenticeship?

Advice I would give to a prospective degree apprentice is to consider all the possible opportunities even if it might not be 100% your current interest, many occupations now offer a level 6 apprenticeship, and it gives you a real head start in your professional life and provides you with lots of new experiences.

Advice I would give to a current degree apprentice is to say ‘yes’ to every opportunity you are given within university and your workplace. You will find that something you didn’t think you would like you may end up liking, and vice versa. Either way this is a great thing and provides you with a valuable experience and knowledge, allowing you to rule in or out any potential future routes you want to take in life.

To find out more about degree apprenticeships at the University of Chichester, visit: www.chi.ac.uk/degree-apprenticeships