OCS has partnered with the University of Suffolk to launch a degree apprenticeship programme, creating new routes into specialist careers within the Suffolk-head quartered international facilities management business.
Degree apprenticeships will play a key role in strengthening OCS’s future workforce capability. They enable the business to attract high-potential talent, develop specialist skills in areas such as project management, data science and digital transformation, and build sustainable career pathways that support long-term retention and succession planning. By combining academic learning with practical workplace experience, apprentices contribute to the business from day one while developing the professional knowledge and behaviours needed for future leadership and specialist roles.
OCS UK & Ireland is headquartered in Ipswich, and the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to making a positive contribution to the communities in which it operates. By creating degree apprenticeship opportunities, OCS and the University of Suffolk are providing local individuals with an alternative route into professional careers that combines university-level education with hands-on workplace training. The partnership supports social mobility, strengthens the regional skills base, and helps build a sustainable pipeline of future leaders and specialists for OCS.
For the University of Suffolk, degree apprenticeships form part of a wider ambition to ensure all students gain genuine work experience and leave university ‘work ready’. Combining study with paid employment, apprenticeships also support the government’s drive to expand degree apprenticeship opportunities and build skills in key industries.
Daniel Dickson, CEO UK & Ireland, OCS:
“This partnership with the University of Suffolk is about building the future of OCS. Investing in the next generation of talent gives us the specialist skills we need for the years ahead, while giving people in local communities a genuine route into a career with real prospects.”
Marek Hornak, Pro Vice-Chancellor – Careers, Commercial and Academic Partnerships:
“OCS has a long-term commitment to staff development, and we are delighted to be partnering with the team to develop the talent of its apprentices. As a civic university, we are committed to developing the skills, knowledge and behaviours for apprentices to thrive in their careers, and this collaboration marks the beginning of a partnership which will support the future skills in facilities management.”
This marks the start of a long-term partnership between OCS and the University of Suffolk, with both organisations committed to working together to develop skills and talent across the region for years to come.
