Public funding for level 7 (master's degree level) apprenticeships is to be scrapped as from January 26, the government has confirmed.
Support will be maintained, however, for apprentices currently on the level 7 and for those aged 16 to 21 at the time of starting their course.
The reforms are being made as part of government moves to shift the focus of skills training onto school-leavers and younger learners, with clarification received in a recent DfE statement from Educatin Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
She said: "Creating more opportunities for young people at the start of their working lives means we need to prioritise public funding towards them, rather than those already in work with more prior learning and qualifications. That's why we announced our intention to move funding away from level 7 (master's level) apprenticeships, to support a more flexible offer at lower levels.
I am now confirming that we will proceed with this reform. We will continue to fund level 7 for those aged 16-21 (when they start their apprenticeship) and support apprentices already on a level 7 apprenticeship through to completion. This change will apply from January 2026 across all sectors."
Several professional bodies in sectors such as architecture and accountancy, had previously expressed their concerns at the plans to remove level 7 funding.
However, Skills England - the body that has now officially replaced IfATE, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical - 'did not find a strong enough economic rationale to exempt a small group of level 7 apprenticeship standards from defunding'.
Ms Phillipson said: "While level 7 apprenticeships can be a valuable route for some disadvantaged learners, a significant proportion are from non-deprived backgrounds and are significantly less likely to be deprived than apprentices at lower levels. Level 7 generally has a higher proportion of older learners than other apprenticeships, particularly the senior leader apprenticeship (where 99% are over 25) and standards with an embedded postgraduate qualification."
The minister also expanded on the DfE's decision to exempt younger people on level 7s from the defunding.
She added: "There are several exceptions which benefit young people at the start of their careers, like solicitors and accountancy or taxation professionals. This is why we have decided that younger learners, from all backgrounds, will continue to be funded under our reforms. Level 7 apprenticeships are a valuable entry point for young people into good careers, such as law, accountancy and town planning; we have seen thousands take advantage of these opportunities and this will continue under our new approach."
Confirmation that level 7 partial funding will remain for younger entrants to the legal profession has been welcomed by the Law Society, although the professional body would like to see further opportunities for those over 21 to qualify as solicitors.
Law Society president Richard Atkinson said: "The government's decision to continue funding the level 7 apprenticeships for those aged 16 to 21 will encourage many young people to pursue a career in legal services. This benefits not just the legal sector, but also those young people that can't afford university fees."
Ms Phillipson said the DfE's move to cease funding level 7 for people aged over 21 was 'informed by a wide range of evidence, including Skills England's analysis of official apprenticeship statistics and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. She added that wider data and representations had 'also been weighed up against the government's clear priorities.'
So, in short: