Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to support (a) De Montfort University and (b) the University of Leicester to increase the availability of degree apprenticeships.

Degree apprenticeships provide people with high-quality training and are important in supporting productivity, social mobility and widening participation in higher education (HE) and employment.

The department has seen year-on-year growth of degree-level apprenticeships (Levels 6 and 7), with over 188,000 starts since their introduction in the 2014/15 academic year, and wants to further accelerate the growth of degree apprenticeships.

The department invested £8 million in the 2022/23 financial year through the Strategic Priorities Grant to enable HE institutions to grow degree level apprenticeship provision and form new employer partnerships. Both De Montfort University and the University of Leicester were successful in receiving funding.

The University of Leicester also recently launched the Space Systems Engineer degree level apprenticeship, which will offer new, exciting opportunities for people wanting to start or progress in the space industry.

To support providers to further expand their existing apprenticeship offers, the department is now providing an additional £40 million over the next two years through the Strategic Priorities Grant, and encourages both universities to apply for this funding when the competitive bidding process is launched later this year.