Nokia chooses Henley Business School to provide apprenticeship programmes

Henley Business School, triple-accredited and part of the University of Reading, today announces a new partnership with Finnish multinational technology leader, Nokia, to provide Senior Leader and Improvement Leader apprenticeship programmes to help develop the next generation of business leaders.

The Nokia apprentices will join cohorts on three Henley programmes designed for ambitious professionals aspiring to become effective leaders and increase their organisational impact – the Senior Leader Apprenticeship | Business Administration, Senior Leader Apprenticeship | Future Leaders and Improvement Leader Apprenticeship | Managing Business Transformation.  Each is a highly engaging programme that will equip apprentices with the strategic leadership skills and fresh thinking required to address the challenges that leaders face today.

Phil Siveter, CEO at Nokia UK&I, says: “As an industry there has been much talk of late about the skills shortages. We are facing real challenges in recruiting the right individuals with relevant skills in this continuously evolving and always exciting technology sector.  It is my personal belief that it is critical for companies like Nokia to continue to find ways to offer opportunities and experiences to everyone. It is vital to support learning and growth, and we will continue creating an inclusive and diverse workforce for the future.   

At Nokia, apprenticeships are about investing in people that allow everyone to reach their full potential and uncover hidden talents to learn new skills as part of their learning journey, from those right at the start of the career journey to those more senior managers.  We were delighted to send the first of our managers on the Senior Leader Apprenticeship as part of our Leaders for Tomorrow programme with Henley Business School.”

Developed to stretch and challenge, the apprenticeships offer a blended learning experience through structured online learning and immersive, face-to-face sessions that are held at Henley’s Greenlands campus – a unique learning environment away from the hustle and bustle of everyday office life.

Expected to be completed in 20-23 months, including the end-point assessment, the programmes combine expert teaching with practical, on-the-job experiences for learning that can have an immediate impact on business. Siveter continues: “Nokia is excited to be working on a range of apprenticeship programmes for our middle and senior managers with Henley. Their experience of developing managers and leaders and facilitating transformation both at a personal and organisational level was one of the reasons we decided to partner with them.”

Anne Dibley, Head of Post-Experience and Apprenticeship Programmes at Henley, says: “We are excited to be partnering with Nokia, a company on a mission to support the learning and growth of its employees and to develop leaders who will question the status quo and help drive the organisation forward. With businesses facing more challenges than ever before, developing leaders who can effectively manage the increasingly complex business environment is critical. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”