UCAS aims for September 2024 rollout of apprenticeship tariff points

Admissions service will consult on the delayed plans by this May

Admissions service will consult on the delayed plans by this May

Apprenticeships will finally qualify for UCAS tariff points from the next academic year, the admissions service has revealed.

UCAS’s apprenticeship lead Lindsay Conroy told today’s tenth annual apprenticeship conference (AAC) in Birmingham to expect a public consultation on adding UCAS points to apprenticeships by May.

Conroy said UCAS has “a view” for the plans to be ready for September of this year.

This time last year at AAC, then-UCAS chief executive Clare Marchant announced that the organisation was working on greenlighting tariff points for apprenticeships by the end of 2023.

The delay appears to be due to the “challenging” education environment across the UK and UCAS having to consult with regulators and stakeholders.

“As you can imagine, it’s challenging because we cross all four nations and education is devolved so what we don’t want to do is disadvantage any learners,” explained Conroy.

“We’re in a position where we have a model that we think works. We’re going through some engagement at the moment and regulators and stakeholders.”

A public document is expected to come out for consultation this April or May, Conroy said, adding that students should be able to rollout the scheme by September 2024.

Post-16 level 3 qualifications have attributed UCAS points to determine entry criteria for university courses, such as levels, T Levels, BTECs and Cambridge Technicals.

Apprenticeships will be the latest qualification to carry UCAS points, but it is not yet clear how many points apprenticeships may be eligible for.

When asked if the points system will bring parity of esteem to apprenticeships compared with other post-16 routes, Conroy admitted it is not “the whole answer”.

“I think that requires a lot of work from all across the sector to bring true parity, but it’s part of it because it provides a signal to people that this pathway has routes and avenues,” she told AAC.

The move forms part of the government’s ambitions to make UCAS a “one-stop shop” for education and training.

Earlier in October last year, UCAS launched an apprenticeships service, showing students apprenticeship vacancies listed alongside higher education courses. It plans to allow students to apply for apprenticeships through its website from 2024/25.

Latest education roles from

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Dodd Partners

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Plan for change funding to drive green construction skills

The government has launched a new plan for change to address the skills deficit in the construction industry, providing...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Reshaping the New Green Skills Landscape

The UK government is embarking on a transformative journey to reshape its skills landscape, placing a significant emphasis on...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Safe to speak, ready to act: SaferSpace targets harassment and misconduct in education 

In an era where safeguarding and compliance are firmly in the spotlight, education providers face a growing responsibility: to...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Screening for the cognitive needs of apprentices is essential – does it matter if the process is engaging?

Engagement should be the first priority in cognitive assessment. An engaging assessment is an inclusive assessment — when cognitive...

Advertorial

More from this theme

Apprenticeships

CareShield exits apprenticeships to protect learners from staff shortages 

Sector-wide challenges made it 'increasingly difficult' to deliver high-quality training, provider’s leaders say

Billy Camden
Apprenticeships

DfE raids budgets to cover ‘landmark’ apprenticeships overspend

Experts warn that further ‘trade-offs’ may need to be made in future

Billy Camden
Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship starts rise as tax and wage hikes come into force

But adverts fall while vacancies begin to plummet

Billy Camden
Apprenticeships

Dozens of apprenticeships granted ‘transitional’ off-the-job hours

DfE releases full list of standards that will benefit from four-month breathing period for providers

Anviksha Patel

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *