YOUNG people from low-income backgrounds are under-represented in higher and degree-level apprenticeships, research by the Sutton Trust revealed today.

The charity found that the proportion of degree-level apprentices from low-income backgrounds was lower than for undergraduates, suggesting that courses are not a more accessible pathway into careers than going to university.

Apprenticeship take-ups between 2015 and 2020 fell dramatically, the study found, with the number dropping by almost a quarter from 2017 to 2018, when a levy was imposed and other policy changes were introduced.