Helen Hayes warns unfair apprenticeship system is failing young people

A system “heavily weighted towards university” is letting down a generation of young people, chair of the education select committee Helen Hayes has warned.

Speaking on a LabourList panel in partnership with the Edge Foundation, Hayes argued that apprenticeships must be given equal importance to university degrees.

The call for reform comes as Keir Starmer announced at Labour party conference that he will scrap the target for 50 per cent of pupils to go to university, and pledged that Labour will see two-thirds of children complete either a degree or a “gold standard apprenticeship.”

Also on the panel, Alice Gardner, CEO of the Edge Foundation, highlighted two reports from her organisation that explore the gap between young people seeking apprenticeships and the SMEs ready to hire them.

Read the latest news, analysis and commentary on the 2025 Labour party conference in Liverpool here on LabourList.

The reports found that in 2023, over 40 per cent of UCAS applicants expressed an interest in apprenticeships. Despite this demand, one in four young people who try to secure an apprenticeship don’t succeed, and too many give up due to a lack of support and a complex application process.

Gardner said: “SMEs are saying, we really want to be able to employ young people. We really want to be able to give them access to our business. We want to create a talent pipeline. But the main blocks in the way are the ability to find the young people they need, the ability to be able to be supported.”

She called for a UCAS-style application process for apprenticeships. “All we need to do is fix that middle bit up so that we can make sure that we connect everybody. It’s about fairness of access to apprenticeships, but it’s also about SMEs having the support they need to be able to be the very best employers they can.

“If you have loads of social capital. Your parents are really engaged. Your school’s all over it. You’re probably going to find an amazing apprenticeship. But if you’ve got to do that process on your own, good luck. It’s not easy for young people at all.”

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • DONATE: If you value our work, please chip in a few pounds a week and become one of our supporters, helping sustain and expand our coverage.
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].