This chapter is intended to provide insight into the design and early piloting of Aotearoa New Zealand’s (NZ) first degree-level apprenticeship. Despite the growing need for engineering technologists nationally, current enrolments for this polytechnic degree nationwide are declining. This trend, along with the critical shortage of infrastructure asset managers both worldwide and nationally are the two main motivating factors for the development of this degree-apprenticeship. Drawing from current literature and international practice (particularly in the United Kingdom), an industry-led curriculum design approach was used that resulted in the creation of an infrastructure asset management pathway within each major of the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BEngTech) degree. This included a strong work-integrated learning component, supported by classes given by the workplace professionals who act as mentors to the apprentices in the programme. The development of specific curriculum features aimed at ensuring continued industry engagement and support, includes a partnership with industry experts in the design, delivery, assessment, and evaluation of the curriculum, as well as the integration of professional body micro-credentials into the courses we have co-designed. The evaluation of the pilot draws on frameworks used in other curriculum analyses (Brown, J Technol Educ 20(2):8–22, 2009; Thornton, Curriculum consonance in United States history classrooms. Doctoral dissertation, Stanford University, 1985). The various foci of this evaluation include the impact the programme has on Māori and Pacific students, women in engineering, and the industry that has supported the initiative. Finally, we outline some of the challenges faced in setting up the programme as well as some of the projected long-term goals of the project. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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