Competition for degree apprenticeships quadruples as university costs rise

Competition for degree apprenticeships in England has quadrupled over the past three years, the BBC has found.

The popularity of degree apprenticeships - which offer a paid-for university degree along with a salary - has grown as the cost of university has come under increased scrutiny.

Data seen by the BBC showed the number of applicants through the government's central platform nearly tripled from 8,100 to 21,800 over the past three years, while the number of positions available fell by almost half, from 7,300 to 3,700.

Applicants said they applied to university as a "backup" because competition was so fierce, with employers cutting back on hiring because of high employment costs and economic uncertainty.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it was "backing employers who take on young apprentices".

Last month, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he wanted to ensure teenagers had technical routes into careers that could rival the path of a traditional university degree.

His comments came as concerns grow about the immediate and long-term costs of university, with more students wanting to stay at home home rather than moving away, to save money and calls to reform student loan repayments. The cost of undergraduate tuition fees in England is now set to rise every year with inflation.

Degree apprenticeships might look to some like an attractive alternative, but the Freedom of Information data obtained by the BBC suggests they are hard to come by.

There were 11.3 applications for every Level 6 apprenticeship position in the current academic year, compared to 2.8 in 2023-24.

There are similar trends across all apprenticeships at Levels 4, 5 and 6, where there have been 10.6 applications per position - up from 3.6.

Level 4, 5 and 6 qualifications are equivalent to the first, second and third years of an undergraduate degree.

The data only relates to apprenticeships advertised through the Find An Apprenticeship website in England, which is run by the government and subject to Freedom of Information requests. Employers also advertise positions themselves and through other platforms.

Oliver Sidwell, director of Higherin, one of those platforms, said searches for degree apprenticeships had risen by more than 80% this year. He said employers were advertising more degree apprenticeships through his service, but demand was growing faster.

Kieran McRae, 22, applied for a degree apprenticeship but was "devastated" to miss out on a place.