Opinion · Education & Skills
Don't stop at UCAS — the case for broader apprenticeship reform
By Shazia Ejaz
Director of Campaigns, Recruitment and Employment Confederation
Published 3 min read
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan described her own apprenticeship experience as her ‘golden ticket’ when announcing that young people can soon use UCAS to search and apply for apprenticeships. However, for us to overcome acute labour and skills shortages and make training more accessible for people working on shorter contracts, we need the government to see this as a golden opportunity for broader apprenticeship reform.
Key findings
- The piece, written from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's perspective, argues that unless there is "a broader revolution" in how the UK offers training for work, UCAS's move to advertise apprenticeships will end up as "just academic" for the labour market.
- A Freedom of Information request to the Department for Education, made by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, revealed more than £600 million of apprenticeship levy funds have been spent on higher-level courses (levels three to seven), including MBA-type qualifications.
- The Recruitment and Employment Confederation's own research found that 960,000 temporary workers cannot access levy-funded training because apprenticeships must run for at least 12 months, and the piece calls for the levy to fund shorter, modular apprenticeships instead.
- The piece notes that Amazon UK, BAE Systems and Legal and General all support the UCAS apprenticeships initiative, and cites 2.3 million job postings as evidence of the need for a national workforce plan.
- The piece points out that UCAS and the Department for Education used the word "young" eleven times in their joint press release without mentioning "older" or "mature" workers, which it says sits awkwardly against the government's 2023 budget plan for "returnerships" for over-50s.
What is UCAS actually changing?
From this autumn, young people will be able to view apprenticeships on the UCAS website. By 2024, students will also have the option to apply for apprenticeships through UCAS, according to the Department for Education's announcement.
It is crucial for business that the apprenticeships advertised on UCAS cover levels two to seven, as various sectors across the economy are struggling to address labour shortages at a range of skill levels. The fact that Amazon UK, BAE Systems plc, and Legal and General Group PLC are highly supportive of this initiative underscores the demand. After all, our recent data reports 2.3 million job postings, highlighting the need for a national workforce plan.
Unless we have a broader revolution on how we offer training for work, the impact of UCAS’s move on to support the labour market will end up as just academic.
Why does the apprenticeship levy need to change?
The apprenticeship levy needs to be broadened so that more funds are spent on other accredited shorter courses at entry level that will help young people into work and support the levelling up agenda, rather than being spent on in-work graduates.
The apprenticeship levy needs to be broadened so that more funds are spent on other accredited shorter courses at entry level that will help young people into work and support the levelling up agenda, rather than being spent on in-work graduates.
Earlier this year, we partnered with the British Retail Consortium, UKHospitality, and techUK to express our concern that the government’s approach to the levy was ‘holding back investment’ in critical training. This training has the potential to increase productivity, fuel economic growth, and raise wages.
Unfortunately, the levy has not fulfilled its intended purpose. Our Freedom of Information request to the Department for Education revealed that more than £600 million has been spent on higher-level courses (levels three to seven), while many young and temporary flexible workers still cannot access the necessary training opportunities or funding. The original intention of the levy was certainly not intended to allocate such a significant portion of funds to MBA courses.
The government must take additional steps to assist the 960,000 temporary workers identified by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, a vital part of the UK jobs market, who are automatically cut off from accessing levy funding for training due to the requirement that apprenticeships must last for at least 12 months. This disadvantages many businesses trying to fill vacancies quickly and in areas such as hospitality or logistics where shorter courses under 12 months would work just as well to meet employer needs. There is a strong demand for the ability to use the levy for modular apprenticeships that can be tailored to employers’ specific requirements.
Why does the debate keep leaving older workers out?
One notable observation is that UCAS and the Department for Education use the term ‘young’ eleven times in their joint press release announcing the initiative, without any mention of ‘older’ or ‘mature’ individuals. While it is important to encourage more young people to benefit from apprenticeships and utilise levy funds, this approach may conflict with the government’s 2023 budget announcement regarding ‘returnerships’ for individuals over 50s to re-enter the workforce. To make apprenticeships successful and address labour shortages while fostering economic growth, we should emphasise opportunities that support and include those seeking to return to work.
