Government urged to ringfence higher and degree apprenticeship funding to halt the skills decline in Sunderland

The University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) is urging the government to ringfence its planned Growth and Skills Levy funding of higher and degree apprenticeships, to tackle the rising skills gap impacting employers across Sunderland.

- By Emma Fitzpatrick Contributor

Latest figures* reveal that local employers are more dependent than ever on funded apprenticeship programmes between levels 4-7, which have experienced a 9% increase in year-on-year starts in the last three years.

Level 7 apprenticeship starts have seen the highest increase (13%) in the same three-year period, closely followed by Level 4 (12%), Level 5 (10%) and Level 6 (3%).

A member survey conducted by UVAC, the higher and degree apprenticeship voice for over 80 universities, also revealed that 42% of respondents felt the Growth and Skills Levy will make it harder for businesses to plug skills gaps.