The Chartered ABS responds to inquiry into the quality of apprenticeships and skills training
The Chartered ABS has responded to the Education Committee’s inquiry into the quality of apprenticeships and skills training. With more students seeing degree apprenticeships as an alternative to the standard degree route, it is important that these qualifications are not seen as the poor relation of standard degrees. To ensure that degree apprenticeships are perceived as a viable alternative, funding should be available at the standard rate and there should not be any new restrictions on the qualifications that can be included as an apprenticeship. We also strongly advise against any arrangement in which fee paying students would subsidise apprentices taking the same course. We also believe that universities’ existing QAA external examiner system is sufficiently robust to quality assure degree apprenticeships and that introducing another regulator would add unnecessary complexity.
The UK’s business and management sector has been one of the most enthusiastic supporters of degree apprenticeships and the most popular subject area for Higher level apprenticeships is Business, Administration and Law, demonstrating business schools’ ability to adapt to the needs of a new type of cohort.
