PM to axe 'rip-off degrees' and boost apprenticeships
The Independent|May 29, 2024
Rishi Sunak is pledging to create 100,000 more apprenticeships a year by shutting down "rip-off degrees" as he battles to remain in No 10.
SOPHIE WINGATE
PM to axe 'rip-off degrees' and boost apprenticeships

The prime minister wants to see the worst-performing university courses replaced with high-skilled apprenticeships if the Conservatives retain power after the general election.

He will later today say that his party is “offering our young people the employment opportunities and financial security they need to thrive” as he seeks to narrow Labour’s double-digit lead in the polls.

But Sir Keir Starmer’s party said the policy is “laughable” after the Tories “presided over a halving of apprenticeships for young people”.

The target of 100,000 extra apprenticeships would be reached by the end of the next parliament and backed by new funding, the Tories said. The policy would cost £885m in 2029-30, according to party estimates.

This story is from the May 29, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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This story is from the May 29, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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