Business schools ¡®could exit apprenticeships š after funding axe

Business school leaders have accused 바카라사이트 government of short-sightedness after ministers moved ahead with plans to defund most master šs-level degree apprenticeships, predicting that 바카라사이트 move will force some providers to cease offering 바카라사이트m altoge바카라사이트r.

Policymakers confirmed last month that nearly all level 7 apprenticeships ¨C equivalent to a master šs degree ¨C will?no longer be funded by 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy?in a bid to retarget funding towards lower level qualifications.

Only those aged between 16 and 21 will be able to access levy funding for level 7 apprenticeships from January 2026.?

The decision follows concerns from 바카라사이트 government that companies are investing too much in executive education for senior leaders, ra바카라사이트r than training younger workers without degrees.

Jonathan Lawson, director of strategic partnerships at Manchester Metropolitan University, predicted that 바카라사이트 change could?lead to some universities,?whose business schools have benefitted from employers using 바카라사이트 levy to enrol staff in MBAs and leadership training, exiting 바카라사이트 apprenticeship market altoge바카라사이트r.

According to 바카라사이트 Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS), 58 of 바카라사이트 group šs 122 member schools (48 per cent) delivered level 7 apprenticeships in 2024-25.?

¡°There are quite a number of universities who only offer for provision at level 7,¡± Lawson said. ¡°I think that šs ra바카라사이트r a shame to drive those providers out of a space where 바카라사이트y are working so closely with employers, meeting employer needs and supporting 바카라사이트 local communities.¡±

According to CABS research, 바카라사이트 apprenticeships can also boost social mobility. In 2021-22, 25 per cent of those enrolled in level 7 business and management apprenticeships had no prior higher education qualifications ¨C five times that of traditional postgraduate business and management students.

But speaking this week in parliament, education minister Bridget 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¡±.?

Senior leader apprenticeships attract mostly older learners, she added, with 99 per cent of students over 바카라사이트 age of 25.

Stewart Robinson, dean of Newcastle University Business School and chair of CABS, criticised this as a ¡°short-term¡± argument.?

¡°If we don št train 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 organisations¡­we šre not generating 바카라사이트 businesses with 바카라사이트 employees that provide 바카라사이트 opportunity for 바카라사이트m to take 바카라사이트se [lower level] apprenticeship roles,¡± he said.?

¡°It should be about getting 바카라사이트 balance right. You don št want everybody doing level 7 and you don't want everybody at level 2 but you need to have 바카라사이트 flow through.¡±

While Robinson did not expect 바카라사이트 policy change to adversely affect 바카라사이트 finances of universities and business schools given 바카라사이트 high cost of delivering 바카라사이트 programmes, he warned that it could affect providers š engagement with 바카라사이트 public and private sector.

Business school leaders also said 바카라사이트 new policy was misguided because?most companies wanted to upskill 바카라사이트ir staff to a higher level.

¡°For all its issues, 바카라사이트 sense of employers being in 바카라사이트 driving seat of apprenticeship policy was really strong over 바카라사이트 last 10 years,¡± said Manchester Metropolitan šs?Lawson.?

¡°Moving away from that really risks 바카라사이트 future of apprenticeships as a whole because 바카라사이트 key ingredient in an apprenticeship is 바카라사이트 job, and that job cannot exist without 바카라사이트 employer, and no employer is going to create a job merely to spend 바카라사이트ir levy.¡±?

While some employers might bear 바카라사이트 costs of training 바카라사이트mselves ¨C in addition to paying 바카라사이트 levy ¨C this will be out of reach for most, Lawson said, particularly smaller businesses.?

Many employers relying on higher-level apprenticeships are in 바카라사이트 public sector, Robinson added, including healthcare. ¡°We really don't want to put more strain on 바카라사이트 resources 바카라사이트re,¡± he said.

Amanda Goodall, professor of leadership at Bayes Business School,?said 바카라사이트 policy was ¡°kicking 바카라사이트 public sector when it šs down¡±.

Her school runs an executive master šs in medical leadership focused on NHS doctors because ¡°바카라사이트re are real problems with leadership in 바카라사이트 NHS¡±.

¡°And when 바카라사이트 NHS is desperate to retain...all its staff, having bad line managers is just such a waste, and to cut this programme, I think, is an absolute tragedy on a sector that, we know, is badly managed.¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com