Unis call on Gov to back high level apprenticeships for hospitality
A survey has revealed that 88% of the UK’s top universities believe that higher and degree apprenticeships hold the key to the Government driving economic growth and addressing the talent requirements of hospitality.
The University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) conducted a survey of its members to explore what policy commitments and funding support the new government should make to ensure higher and degree apprenticeships meet the sector’s skills gap.
The results revealed the belief that the new Labour government should continue the progress made across higher and degree apprenticeships under the previous government, with 84% urging Labour to support their continued growth.
From a financial perspective, 64% believed the new Government should commit to helping universities meet the cost challenges of delivering higher and degree apprenticeships in partnership with hospitality employers and help them diversify their provision to meet the needs of more business sectors.
With the focus on how hospitality businesses will contribute to funding, the UVAC’s research explored the impact Labour’s Growth and Skills Levy will have when it replaces the Conservative’s Apprenticeship Levy, which is financed by a 0.5% compulsory contribution by employers with payroll costs of over £3m.
Further taxation
Despite being met with concerns, especially from levy-paying organisations and regarded as another form of business taxation, 60% of universities felt the Apprenticeship Levy better supported the delivery of apprenticeships across all levels, ages and occupations when compared to Labour’s proposed new funding solution.
However, in a boost to hospitality firms paying the current levy, 28% felt that apprenticeship provision for 16-18 year olds should be paid for by general taxation in the same way as A levels, T levels and Applied Generals.
Over three quarters (77%) of respondents were concerned that Labour’s Growth and Skills Levy could allow hospitality employers to spend up to 50% of their payments on non-apprenticeship training which could impact on the numbers entering the sector via apprenticeships.
However, those in favour of the creation of the future Growth and Skills Levy believed it would drive improvements within the sector, with 45% believing it will offer a fairer apprenticeship deal to both large and small employers.
Around a third (32%) felt it would provide more funding to higher and degree apprenticeships than the previous government and 36% believed it will increase social mobility in relation to apprenticeship delivery.
One of the problems with the previous scheme was that 20% of the annual budget was to be pledged to degree apprenticeships, and 77% of universities believed that was not enough to meet the sector’s needs.
Dr. Mandy Crawford-Lee, chief executive for UVAC commented: “Given that there is still some uncertainly around Labour’s skills policy and how it will meet its manifesto pledges, we were keen to gauge the mood of universities delivering higher and degree apprenticeships in partnership with hospitality employers of all sizes.
“Our members clearly feel it’s vital that Labour continues to safeguard the future of apprenticeships and makes them available to people of all ages and across all qualification and skill levels, so that a change in government doesn’t stifle their growth.
“Any risk to the funding of higher and degree apprenticeships seems unthinkable when you consider how critical they are to promoting social inclusion, bolstering the wider UK economy and addressing the skills gap across the sector.
“Our survey is a real eye-opener into what the higher and degree apprenticeship landscape could look like under the newly elected government and we’d urge Labour to take on board our findings and the views of both universities and employers responsible for their provision.”
