MillionPlus comment on Level 7 apprenticeships funding announcement

MillionPlus, the Association for Modern Universities, has today (27 May) commented on the announcement that Level 7 apprenticeships will no longer be funded for individuals over 21 from January 2026.

Rachel Hewitt, Chief Executive of MillionPlus, said:

“At the least, it is helpful that lingering doubt as to the future funding of these courses has been put to bed.

“While the decision will save the government money it will not come without cost and the very real risk that this exacerbates long-standing skills shortages in key sectors such as healthcare and construction.

“It also represents another stream of lost income for the universities which deliver these programmes, totalling in the millions of pounds at some institutions. Some of these universities will also have been burned by the last government’s u-turn on policing apprenticeships, signalling that a longer-term approach is required in Westminster. What incentive is there for a university to invest time and resources to establish new courses or provision if those courses can be defunded or hollowed out at the whim of ministers.

“Maintaining funding for level 7 courses for younger students will bring small benefit to some individuals and institutions but given the high level of these qualifications, the majority of applicants are likely to be older, meaning in effect that the overall impact of such a condition will differ little from wholesale defunding.

“Defunding level 7 apprenticeships to re-focus provision on younger learners makes financing this type of course a zero-sum game and runs counter to the government’s rhetoric on skills and social mobility.

“The government is right to wish to grow the number of apprenticeships, but a better approach would have been to increase the overall budget, rather than by defunding courses providing high-level skills and training in areas the country needs.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Dan Blows on 020 3927 2916 or email press@millionplus.ac.uk
2. MillionPlus is the Association for Modern Universities in the UK, and the voice of 21st century higher education. We champion, promote and raise awareness of the essential role and impact of modern universities in the UK’s world-leading higher education sector. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk
3. What are modern universities? Modern universities are long established centres of higher education in their communities with roots that stretch back decades, if not centuries. Many gained university title following legislation agreed by parliament in 1992. They make up almost half of the UK university sector with over a million students studying at modern universities every year.
4. Think Modern: Innovation, ingenuity and inclusion from Britain's modern universities - FACTS AND STATS