Recommendation 20

HM Government · verbatim extract Not Addressed

NOT TAKEN FORWARD While we recognise and support the intent behind the recommendation, we do not support the Committee’s proposal to expand the remit of UCAS to provide a single source of information for all routes. UCAS already allows students to explore apprenticeships alongside traditional degrees. UCAS has a focus on higher and degree apprenticeship opportunities at Level 4 and above, and the routes to and through these pathways. The Early Connect pilot has demonstrated technical feasibility by streaming apprenticeship vacancies from DfE systems into the UCAS platform, enabling students to view university and apprenticeship options side by side. However, apprenticeships operate on a fundamentally different model and timeline from academic pathways. They are employer-led programmes, and recruitment is driven by business needs rather than academic cycles. While some degree apprenticeships align with university start dates, many do not. SMEs in particular, often lack the capacity to plan recruitment around fixed timelines and typically advertise vacancies as and when roles arise. This makes standardisation of application timelines impractical. Although larger employers may benefit from aligning recruitment with academic cycles, this is not representative of the broader apprenticeship landscape. UCAS helps students understand the breadth of higher education pathways available, including undergraduate study, Higher Technical Qualifications, and degree and higher apprenticeships. In the case of apprenticeships, UCAS supports students in exploring opportunities available, with a focus on apprenticeships at Level 4 and above, along with the pathways to, and resulting from, these opportunities. This includes providing information and advice across a range of sectors, as well as a CV builder to support applications to the 60% of the employment or apprenticeship opportunities that still require one. UCAS also offers an apprenticeship search function that presents live vacancies to students. The committee will be aware of UCAS’ inclusion of apprenticeships in the admissions ‘tariff’, allocating tariff points to Level 3 apprenticeships, to ensure parity across all Level 3 routes for prospective higher education applicants. We acknowledge that most young people interested solely in apprenticeships do not currently use UCAS as their primary source of information. Therefore, expanding UCAS’s remit further would require significant development, funding and ongoing coordination, without clear evidence of demand or benefit across all user groups. Additionally, UCAS is an independent charity, separate from government. The Department works with UCAS across several policy areas. However, any change to their current remit would require interest, support and investment from the body itself, with government only able to influence and not lead this change. There is scope to explore how employers can improve the accessibility of their recruitment processes for young people. This could include greater transparency around recruitment timelines, clearer communication of role expectations, and a commitment to providing feedback to applicants. Additionally, there is potential for employers—particularly larger ones—to work with their supply chains to share strong candidates who may not have secured a role initially. While simplifying and aligning application processes could support younger applicants, particularly those considering both academic and vocational routes, any national standardisation must remain flexible to accommodate the diverse and dynamic nature of apprenticeship recruitment. However, we are considering ways we can continue to improve the service available to potential applicants, so that we can support an improved application process, particularly for school and college leavers.