CABE joins call to raise eligibility for Level 7 apprenticeship funding

Richard Harral, CABE CEO, has added his signature to a list of more than 70 organisations, businesses and academic institutions that support RIBA’s letter to the UK government, urging the Labour administration to raise the eligibility age for Level 7 apprenticeship funding to 25 as this will support its own construction ambitions.

CABE has joined more than 70 organisations, businesses and academic institutions across the built environment that have signed an open letter from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, calling on the minister to raise the eligibility age for Level 7 apprenticeship funding to 25 years old for built environment professionals.

From January, the government plans to restrict funding for Level 7 apprenticeships to those aged from 16 to 21 or those already enrolled in an apprenticeship programme.

However, in the letter sent last month, the signatories explain how extending the eligibility age to 25 years old aligns with the government’s own ambitions to provide two-thirds of young people with higher-levels skills, either through university, further education, or a “gold standard” apprenticeship.

Ideally, many signatories would like to see Level 7 funding made available to learners of all ages, but they recognise that, with 12.8% of all 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training in April to June 2025, the government should refocus investment on young people at the start of their working lives.

As the letter notes, young people are central to building a resilient and productive labour market. The signatories also say that this age group deserves the opportunity to undertake high-quality Level 7 built environment apprenticeships and, for this reason, they argue that raising the eligibility age for funding would help more young people to achieve this ambition.

“Level 7 apprenticeships are a flexible and accessible pathway to becoming a professional within the built environment, allowing a balance of work and study,” states the letter.

“By allowing students to continue with their studies while earning a salary, those with additional responsibilities such as family or caring commitments can enter professions with the skills that employers need, without the burden of debt.”

The letter adds that because the built environment has a large number of SMEs, many businesses will be reliant on Growth and Skills Levy funding so they can employ Level 7 apprentices. Without this critical spend, the signatories argue, these businesses will struggle to support young people and their access to new talent will be restricted.

As one of the largest sectors in the UK economy, construction is directly linked to the government’s growth agenda. With an annual turnover of £370bn , the industry contributes £138bn in value added to the UK economy and employs just over 3 million people (or 9% of the total UK workforce).

However, skills will be critical to the government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes and to meet its net zero targets. This will require a pipeline of highly trained professionals, the letter states.

“Skills England’s own analysis of current and future skills needs acknowledges that the government’s growth ambitions will increase the demand for architects, engineers, planners and surveyors,” the signatories argue.

“Its Sector Skills Needs Assessment for the construction sector also estimates that more than 250,000 additional workers will be needed by 2028 to maintain current construction output.”

In addition, the Construction Industry Training Board has said that the major industries for in-demand skills include private housing, infrastructure, and repair and maintenance, all of which will require architects and construction project managers.

The signatories urge the minister to raise the eligibility age to 25 because the decision to cut off funding for Level 7 apprenticeships over the age of 21 directly contradicts these skills requirements that major industries are calling for.

Commenting, Richard Harral, CABE CEO, said: “Apprenticeships provide a vital and high-quality education for people wanting to develop a career in construction and the built environment. Many will not immediately know which career path to pursue on leaving school and extending the upper limit for Level 7 apprentices to 25 will maintain a career pathway for many new entrants who would otherwise find it difficult to access education. CABE therefore urges government to consider changing its approach to help address the pressing skills shortages in the built environment sector.”