Morning, Friday, 15th May 2026
Online
This conference will discuss the future for degree apprenticeships in England.
It will be an opportunity to consider recent developments and key issues, including the updated apprenticeship funding rules for apprenticeships starting in the 2025-26 academic year and changes to public funding eligibility for most new Level 7 apprenticeships introduced from January 2026. Delegates will also examine reforms associated with the introduction of the Growth and Skills Levy - with new flexibilities from April 2026 enabling levy funding to be used on shorter and more modular training units in priority areas such as artificial intelligence, digital and engineering - alongside the establishment of Skills England as the policy body responsible for assessment reform and overall system oversight.
Attendees will assess how these changes are influencing employer commissioning decisions, provider delivery models, and expectations around sustainability and scope of higher-level professional and technical training routes. Sessions will also examine the positioning of degree apprenticeships within the wider post-18 education and skills landscape, including relationships with higher technical qualifications, professional accreditation pathways, and emerging approaches to modular and flexible learning.
Policy implications on access & widening participation
Overall, the conference will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to examine implications of recent developments on the purpose, scale and sustainability of degree apprenticeships at Levels 6 and 7. This includes provider financial sustainability, alongside concerns from sectors - such as construction, architecture, digital and healthcare - about the future of advanced training and leadership pathways.
Delegates will explore the early impact of Level 7 funding changes on participation, alongside effective approaches to inclusive recruitment, clarity in eligibility and progression pathways for prospective learners, and improving the support that students and apprentices receive. Areas for discussion include ways to improve awareness and guidance for individuals who may not traditionally engage with higher education routes, as well as mature learners through targeted outreach and flexible delivery models, and the integration of degree apprenticeships within access and participation plans.
The capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises and public service employers to maintain investment in higher-level apprenticeships under revised funding arrangements will also be considered.
Delivery, quality of provision & regional variation
Looking at approaches for fostering responsive and sustainable provision, delegates will assess how university and employer partnership models can be strengthened, alongside building delivery capacity across regions, and opportunities emerging from modular and foundation-level provision.
The potential impact of funding reform, levy flexibilities and assessment changes on programme delivery and continuity will be considered, particularly for higher-level apprenticeships in sectors with significant employer demand. Areas for discussion include effective practice in workforce planning, retention of specialist staff, providing continuity of specialist provision with smaller cohorts, and increasing the availability of advanced progression routes into senior professional roles.
Delegates will assess strategies for co-design between HEIs and employers, monitoring progress and embedding quality assurance, looking at how Local Skills Improvement Plans, combined authority strategies and regional workforce priorities can inform programme design and expansion while maintaining national standards and clear progression routes.
Flexibility, skills & labour market needs
Delegates will consider the role of degree apprenticeships in regional skills strategies and workforce development, including their contribution to lifelong learning alongside micro-credentials and flexible delivery models. Attendees will consider the interaction between modular learning, micro-credentials and full degree apprenticeships as pathways for progression, retention and ongoing professional development.
The impact of new Growth and Skills Levy flexibilities will be examined, including the introduction of shorter and more modular training units in priority areas such as AI, digital and engineering. Delegates will also assess the impact on progression routes and employer investment patterns, within higher-level skills development, of growth in modular or shorter-form provision, including self-funded or co-funded advanced training.
The balance of employer-specific training requirements with broader transferable professional skills will be considered, looking at sustainability of provision in specialist subjects, and how consistency of delivery might be improved across regions with varying levels of employer engagement and labour market demand. Strategies to strengthen SME participation through shared delivery and regional partnerships will also be discussed.
Assessment
Further sessions will bring out latest thinking on Skills England’s assessment reform, including minimum duration of lower-level apprenticeships being reduced from 12 to 8 months, with an emphasis on integrated assessment and strengthened quality assurance. Delegates will consider the interaction of this shift with funding pressures, regulatory expectations, and workforce planning, and the role of Skills England in maintaining consistent standards and supporting employers and providers in delivering quality, sustainable higher-level apprenticeships, as well as the impact on employer confidence - particularly in sectors with high-level skills needs.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Education; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Business and Trade; and Department for the Economy, NI.
