How our work with UCAS will serve these aims and one million annual applicants
UCAS understands that the best way to serve future students is not to limit their platform, but to expand it. That’s why we are working together to provide applicants with apprenticeship options alongside degree courses, including career routes to show what return they can expect from investing their time and/or money in these choices.
From Autumn 2023, apprenticeships will sit alongside degree courses on the UCAS Hub, with subject searches supplying related degree and apprenticeship options simultaneously. Presenting different choices side by side will help applicants consider the type of course that would suit them, including the duration of training or study required, affordability, and what job it’s likely to lead to.
The full range of apprenticeships will be displayed — from level 2 to degree level. The Department for Education will share gov.uk apprenticeship vacancies with UCAS, and our expertise in working with the employers that offer them. Alongside the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, we will draw on our respective strengths to provide the best experience for learners and employers.
From Autumn 2024, young people will be able to apply for apprenticeships via the UCAS Hub. UCAS will act as a gateway for post-16 options, with tailored routes set out to guide users to the courses that are right for them. We want the service to be inviting and easy to use — so that no matter the applicant’s background, they can quickly get to grips with where their choices could take them and how to apply.
This is part of a broader vision to better integrate the skills education our economy is crying out for into the formal systems that direct applicants towards and through the jobs market. This means creating a one-stop-shop, where citizens can explore their career and training options at any point in their lives. It will provide quality advice on training and re-training, so that no one need navigate a forest of different services to find what they need to improve their employability. It will complement the delivery of comprehensive career guidance in schools. Students will be provided with high-quality information on all post-16 options, including careers pathways and next steps required to progress.
There will always be a place for studying Middle English and Pure Mathematics. But routes that empower students to get stuck-into skilled trades, or build technical qualifications to advance the nation’s industries, should be accorded the same prestige. The one-size-fits-all approach traps students’ aptitudes within old fashioned expectations. Giving apprenticeships and degrees equal prominence on the UCAS Hub will help to bring about a rightful parity in their status.