Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Level 7 Apprenticeships: Funding

Monday 16 June 2025 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministers are encouraging employers to invest in upskilling staff over 22 years old for level 7 apprenticeships.
  • Level 6 apprenticeships will continue to be funded by the Government.
  • Skills England reports that the majority of workers in critical demand occupations, including the NHS, require qualifications below degree level.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
NHS Education Employment
Context

Over 95,000 apprenticeships are being undertaken in the health, public services and care sector. NHS Employers and many others have raised concerns about the impact of Government policy to cease funding for level 7 apprenticeships for those over the age of 22.

Question

Over 95,000 apprenticeships are being undertaken in the health, public services and care sector, and NHS Employers and many others have raised concerns about the impact of the Government policy to cease funding for level 7 apprenticeships for those over the age of 22. Can the Minister tell us what plans are in place to ensure that the people supporting all of us and all our constituents are given essential training and support? More particularly, what discussions has she had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care about the impact of this decision on our NHS?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Janet Daby)

We are encouraging more employers, including the NHS, to invest in upskilling their staff who are over 22 years old and to deliver level 7 apprenticeships where they benefit those businesses and individuals. It will be for employers to determine the most appropriate training, and there are other training opportunities available at level 7, including non-apprenticeship routes. Our reforms will support 120,000 new training opportunities and up to 13,000 foundation apprenticeship starts.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific plans for ensuring essential training and support for those over 22. She also did not address the question about discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

How: We Are Encouraging More Employers To Invest In Upskilling Their Staff

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Q2 Neil O’Brien Con Harborough, Oadby and Wigston
NHS Education Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The Government announced that they were axing level 7 apprenticeships during recess. The announcement was made the day after answering a parliamentary question from April, revealing a 90% cut in those apprenticeships.

Question

Ministers recently announced that they were axing level 7 apprenticeships. Strangely, they made the announcement during recess; and also strangely, it was only the day after the announcement that they finally answered my parliamentary question from April, revealing that they were making a 90% cut in those apprenticeships. This is blowing a huge hole in the NHS workforce plan, leading to a shortfall of 11,000 nurses. If Ministers will not listen to the many employers saying that this will make it much more difficult for people who are not so well-off to get into the professions, will they at least rule out cutting level 6 apprenticeships next?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Janet Daby)

I can reassure the shadow Minister that level 6 apprenticeships are a core part of our offer, and we will continue to fund them. I also say politely to him that we will take no lessons from Liz Truss’s previous Health Minister; that Government left our NHS on its knees, and we are having to rebuild it from its foundations again.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a specific commitment to rule out cutting level 6 apprenticeships. She instead focused on criticising the previous government's policies.

How: We Will Continue To Fund Them, No Lessons From Liz Truss’S Previous Health Minister

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Q3 Ian Sollom Lib Dem St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire
NHS Social Care Education
Context

The number of health visitors in England has reached an all-time low, with just 7,000 remaining. There is a forecast shortfall of 37,000 community nurses by 2036 and the health and social care sectors face the highest vacancy rates at 41%. The Department’s own Skills England sectoral report shows that these sectors are in critical shortage.

Question

The number of health visitors in England has reached an all-time low, with just 7,000 remaining, and there is a forecast shortfall of 37,000 community nurses by 2036. The Department’s own Skills England sectoral report shows that the health and social care sectors face the highest vacancy rates, at 41%. Has there been any specific assessment of how removing level 7 apprenticeship funding for those over 21 will impact the pipeline of specialist community public health nurses into critical shortage roles, and is Skills England working with the Department of Health on NHS workforce planning?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Janet Daby)

Skills England is taking a pivotal and active role. Also, of the 2.5 million workers in critical demand occupations, which includes the NHS, the majority require a qualification lower than degree level. We are rebalancing opportunities towards younger people, whose rates of apprenticeship starts have fallen more dramatically than the overall decline over the last decade. To create more opportunities for young people, we will need to prioritise public funding towards those at the start of their working career and at the lower apprenticeship levels, rather than those who are already in work with higher levels of prior learning or qualifications.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not address specific assessments on the impact of removing level 7 apprenticeship funding for those over 21. She also did not provide details on whether Skills England is working with the Department of Health on NHS workforce planning.

How: Rebalancing Opportunities Towards Younger People, Creating More Opportunities For Young People

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