University students should benefit from any underspend from the apprenticeship levy, according to a group of prestigious universities.
In its response to the government’s consultation on post-18 education and funding, the Russell Group encourages the review panel to “explore the potential to engage employers further in how they work with and contribute to the cost of post-18 education”.
It adds: “One option would be to utilise some of the expected underspend from the apprenticeship levy by creating a broader, flexible adult skills fund which could be used for a variety of purposes.”
This funding, the submission states, could be used to support part-time, mature learners and those looking to retrain, “and potentially those wishing to study at sub-degree level”, as well as to “increase the maintenance support (perhaps through reintroduction of some element of grant) for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, recognising evidence that meeting the costs of living is a cause for concern amongst students”.
‘Raiding another programme’
The Russell Group represents 24 research-intensive universities in the UK - among them some of the most prestigious in the country.
Mark Dawe, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said that after “the recent media reports of large universities sitting on huge piles of reserves” it was “frankly amazing for the Russell Group to suggest raiding another programme’s funding to pay for these learners which they could adequately fund themselves with a bigger bursary system like that of their American counterparts”.
He added that it was “far too soon to consider using the levy for anything else other than apprenticeships”. Mr Dawe said this was especially the case as there was “huge demand for the programme from [small and medium-sized] employers which is currently being unmet as a result of the switch in the government’s priorities towards levy payers”.
Supporting apprenticeships
Prime minister Theresa May announced a review of tertiary education at Derby College in February, calling for a change in the attitude that vocational training was “something for other people’s children”. A call for evidence opened a month later. The independent panel is expected to publish its report at an interim stage and for the review to conclude in early 2019.
