Vanessa Wilson CEO of University Alliance comments in response to a new report by UCAS and the Sutton Trust called ‘Where Next? What Influences the choices of would-be apprentices?’
“We know apprenticeships are popular. They are a great option for students who want to work whilst they study and a great option for employers who want to play an active role in training future workers. The figures released today show what those of us involved in delivering apprenticeships have long known: there are not enough apprenticeships, and degree apprenticeships in particular, to meet demand, and apprenticeships are not generally well understood.
There is clearly strong demand from students and the government to grow the number and diversity of apprenticeships on offer. Just last week, apprenticeships were heralded as the solution to the NHS’s workforce challenges. To really scale up apprenticeships though, the bureaucracy involved in delivering them must be dramatically reduced, they must be properly funded, and proper information and support must be provided to students and to employers. As leading providers of apprenticeships, our universities know the great potential they hold: that potential must now be unleashed.”
