The Department for Education (DfE) announced yesterday it was refocusing funding away from Level 7 (masters-level) apprenticeships from January 2026, while maintaining support for those aged 16 to 21 and existing apprentices.

The DfE said the move was designed to enable levy funding to be rebalanced towards training at lower levels, where it can have the greatest impact.

Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said the funding had ‘provided an increasingly important method of investment in experienced clinical staff to receive education which supports advanced practice in nursing and allied health professions'.

NHS Employers requested an exemption for strategically vital qualifications in November 2024 and Mortimer said the move could create an additional financial burden for the NHS.

He said: ‘The forthcoming 10-Year Plan and associated Workforce Plan will set out ambitious priorities to shift and transform healthcare. This decision risks running counter to these aspirations and we look forward to the Chancellor identifying other ways to support this essential education.'

A Government spokesperson said: ‘We inherited a broken NHS and through our Plan for Change we are taking decisive action to fix it.

‘While funding arrangements for Level 7 apprenticeships are changing, we are working closely with partners to ensure health and social care has access to the skilled workforce patients need.'

The Government said it would be encouraging the NHS to invest in upskilling its staff, adding a graduate system funded by student loans offered alternative training routes

It said there were there were over 40 high-quality apprenticeship standards available to support the NHS to build the skilled workforce it needed in clinical and non-clinical roles.