Bradford-based supermarket giant Morrisons has done a deal with the university’s business school to provide ‘earn-as-you-learn’ degree packages for A level students.

The retailer and Bradford University School of Management have created a new corporate degree to enable A level students to study for a BSc degree in Business and Management.

It offers undergraduates a paid job at Morrisons while studying for their degree, as well as long-term career prospects at the UK’s fourth- largest supermarket.

Morrisons employs 40,000 16 to 24-year-olds and has 3,500 employees set to achieve retail modern apprenticeships. The company is committed to training 100,000 of its employees by 2011 through its fresh food academy.

The corporate degree places are available in Morrisons’ manufacturing division, which is the UK’s second biggest fresh food producer.

Applicants need a minimum of a B and two C grades at A-Level to be eligible and can apply online at the wearemanufacturing.co.uk website.

The three-year programme includes block learning at the School of Management, distance study, on-the-job work experience and work-based projects.

The programme has been designed for Morrisons by Julian Rawel, director of executive education at the School of Management.

Mr Rawel said “With university funding for extra places so stretched, I believe the concept of the corporate degree is something that every FTSE 50 company will want to offer. The investment businesses make in future talent will stay in their organisation. Students gain the skills and experience they need for career progression, plus the enrichment of a university education, a salary, no debt and a job.”

Norman Pickavance, Morrisons human resources director, said: “We believe it is vitally important that industry and education sectors deliver vibrant new solutions which enable people to keep developing and gaining qualifications whilst they learn.”