Responding to the government’s ‘New Deal for Young People’ proposal, University Alliance CEO Vanessa Wilson said:
“The government is once again creating an unnecessary binary between higher education and apprenticeships, particularly where higher-level skills are concerned. This approach is counter-productive and unsustainable. The ‘Skills Sidelined’ report by the Social Market Foundation, commissioned by University Alliance, highlights universities’ role in delivering high-level vocational education. It reveals that high-level and degree apprenticeships – delivered by universities – have surged in popularity to the point where demand is vastly outstripping supply.
The report also recommends increasing funding bands for degree apprenticeships to help boost delivery. We strongly urge Skills England to consider degree apprenticeships in priority sectors, such as construction, manufacturing, and healthcare, in the funding bands review the Minister has ordered. If the government is to ‘rebuild the apprenticeship ladder for the next generation’ they must avoid shifting problems from one end of the skills system to the other and instead take a holistic approach that supports all ages at all stages.”
