The taxpayer-funded apprenticeships scheme should be overhauled to focus on young people at the start of their careers, instead of millions being spent on courses for senior executives, MPs will warn in the wake of an investigation by The Independent.
We revealed last month that the current system is being "gamed" to help pay for masters courses, with more than £1bn spent to subsidise these studies since 2017, including £100m used to part-fund MBAs for high-flyers.
Official figures show that in 2021-22, almost half (47 per cent) of apprenticeships were begun by people aged 25 and over. And the number of under-25s starting an apprenticeship has plummeted by more than 100,000 since 2016.
A new report, set to be published by the Commons education select committee this week, will say that a greater proportion of apprenticeship funding should go to those who are just starting out in the workforce.
The committee is understood to fear that the increasing number of older people studying for advanced qualifications under the flagship apprenticeship levy scheme risks removing the focus on apprenticeships as a route into work.
A source close to the committee said of the report: "It will say that a greater proportion of apprenticeships should be focused on young people, people at 16 and 18 leaving school, and on entry-level [qualifications].
"More and more apprenticeships have been taken by older people, and there is concern that this could remove the focus on apprenticeships as a route into work – and the first working opportunity that people have."
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