Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress the Government has made on ensuring that apprenticeships are recognised as having equivalent value to university degrees.

We have already seen more than 2.1 million apprenticeship starts during this Parliament. Higher Apprenticeships are offering a real alternative to university, providing opportunities to gain a degree whilst working. There are currently over 50 available with more being developed. During 2013/14 there were 18,100 participating in Higher Apprenticeships, a 40% increase on the previous year.

£20m has been made available over 2014-15 and 2015-16 to support employer investment in apprenticeships up to postgraduate level. An additional £40m has also been provided to deliver 20,000 higher apprenticeship starts over the academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15.

Degree Apprenticeships are a new model of higher Apprenticeships involving employers, universities and relevant professional bodies working in partnership. We announced nine Degree Apprenticeships on 12 March. These are in Chartered Surveying; Electronic Systems Engineering; Aerospace Engineering; Aerospace Software Development; Defence Systems Engineering; Laboratory Science; Nuclear; Power Systems and Public Relations. Places will be available from September 2015.

New statutory guidance for schools on careers and inspiration became effective from September 2014. The guidance makes it clear that schools should give employers and other providers delivering apprenticeships the opportunity to inform pupils directly about what they offer. It emphasises that apprenticeships and university offer two equally effective routes to a successful career.