Apprenticeships boosted under plans to broaden UCAS
Young people will soon be able to search and apply for apprenticeships via Cheltenham-based UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, the Department for Education has announced.
From this autumn, UCAS will expand their service so that young people can see more personalised options, including apprenticeships.
From 2024, students will then be able to apply for apprenticeships through UCAS alongside an undergraduate degree application.
Almost half of people that register on UCAS say they would consider an apprenticeship, but currently there are not enough vacancies being advertised through the service to meet growing demand.
The plans will help put technical and vocational education on an equal footing with traditional academic routes. By opening up the service to apprenticeship opportunities, thousands more young people will benefit from a wider choice of high-quality options. Employers will also benefit from better access to talent on UCAS and the ability to manage their apprentice recruitment process.
Announcing the plans during National Apprenticeship Week, the Education Secretary Gillian Keegan pledged to go further still, and develop a one-stop-shop where young people can compare the full range of occupations, training and education opportunities available to them.
"My apprenticeship was my golden ticket. It gave me a unique insight into how a business operated, from the shop floor to the boardroom," she said.
"I learnt the skills that businesses truly value and it launched my career in international business.
"This National Apprenticeship week I hope more people learn about the incredible opportunities available in everything from engineering to accountancy, healthcare to gaming software development. Whatever career goals you aspire to, they can be achieved through an apprenticeship, up to masters degree level."
Clare Marchant (pictured), Chief Executive of UCAS said: "Presenting students with all their choices in one place will not only transform the apprenticeship offering but create real parity by putting these options side-by-side with undergraduate courses.
"As an independent charity working across the UK and globally, students are at the heart of everything we do at UCAS, and with almost half of all UCAS users interested in apprenticeships, equating to hundreds of thousands of potential apprentices, we can help meet this growing demand by showcasing all post-secondary opportunities.
Over 1.5 million students already use the UCAS Hub to access information on different education and training routes.
The move has been welcomed by some of the UK's largest employers.
