Sir Peter Lampl, Founder of the Sutton Trust and Founder of the Education Endowment Foundation, said:

“It’s positive to see investment in apprenticeships, along with broader efforts to put apprenticeships and academic learning on an equal footing. However, £50m over two years, for a pilot focused on a narrow set of sectors, is a drop in the ocean. These pilots should be targeted at creating opportunities for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“It’s also disappointing that no new investment was announced for the UK’s education system, despite the ongoing funding crisis. Over the past decade we’ve seen school funding eroded, teachers leaving the profession, the pandemic having widened the attainment gap, the cost-of-living crisis impacting low-income young people and most worryingly persistent school absence.

“We need a national strategy to close the attainment gap and a set of evidence-based policies, such as the National Tutoring Programme. Today was a missed opportunity to create more opportunities for young people.”