The government is promising more training for under-21s in England, as it presses ahead with controversial plans to scrap funding for postgraduate apprenticeships.
Only students under the age of 21 will qualify for funding for level 7 apprenticeships – the highest level, considered equivalent to a master’s degree – under the plans confirmed on Tuesday.
This means many higher apprenticeships would have to be completely paid for by employers.
The Conservatives have previously described the proposals as a disaster which could undermine advanced NHS training.
Apprenticeships in England are available for those aged 16 and over, and combine practical training in a job with study.
They take between one and five years to complete, depending on their level.
A level 2 apprenticeship is considered the equivalent of a GCSE, while 6 and 7 are considered equivalent to a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Overall the government is promising to create 120,000 more training opportunities for young adults, and those who need to retrain.
An increase in a charge paid by employers recruiting from outside the UK will be used to create 45,000 training places, building on existing programmes aimed at helping adults get into work.
The big shift in Tuesday’s announcement is to pull funding from the highest level apprenticeships, equivalent to a postgraduate or masters degree.
These level 7 apprenticeships are used by people training in a wide variety of roles, including accountants, tax advisors and solicitors, most of whom are already in work.
They are also a significant part of some NHS advanced training, such as for district nurses who want to a more specialist qualification.
Since an apprenticeship levy for large employers was introduced in 2017, there has been a boom in higher qualifications at degree or postgraduate level, called level 6 or level 7.
However, the numbers of young adults starting entry apprenticeships at level 2 has fallen.
Tuesday’s announcement is an attempt to push more of the money generated by the apprenticeship levy paid to government towards those under the age of 21.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said “When we invest in skills for young people, we invest in a shared, stronger economic future.”
But Neil O’Brien, shadow education minister, said: “The decision to scrap higher apprenticeships will do damage to the public services, particularly the NHS.
“It will make it impossible for many young people who don’t go university to enter the professions.”
Among the other changes are seven new foundation apprenticeships in sectors such as health and social care, engineering and construction.
These are at the level of GCSEs and are intended to provide a broad introduction to work before students specialise.
Young adults could then go on to study for specific jobs.
Chachomwe Chiwaya, who is doing a level 2 apprenticeship in hospitality at Leeds City College, told BBC News the course and the experience of working front-of-house in a café has given her more self-belief.
“I’ve not always been as confident as I am now,” the 21-year-old says.
“I’ve always been a shy kid growing up, so it takes a while for my confidence to grow.
“But with this apprenticeship, it gets me out of my comfort zone, it gets me talking to customers, and I’ve made some good relationships with them.”
She says she dreams of working abroad in a hotel, either as a receptionist or restaurant staff, or on a cruise ship – “anything that let’s me see the world”, she says.
