Last week UCAS announced the number of applications to universities for courses this autumn. It has been another near record-breaking year with 314,660 UK 18-year-olds applying to go to University, some 41.5% of the cohort being the second highest ever.

Everyone with the talent and potential should have the ability to access further education, irrespective of their background and family income. A university place is now within reach of more students, with record admission rates among students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Government is committed to help young people broaden and realise their career aspirations and to ensure that local employers have access to the skills they need to grow and thrive.

For the first time therefore for autumn 2024 UCAS are now also going to offer apprenticeship places as well as University courses. This will be a real game changer enabling access to apprenticeship places and opportunities across the economy in future in a way that has previously been much harder for young people to discover.

Interest in apprenticeships has risen again for another year, up 8.7% compared to the same point in the cycle last year – meaning almost half of all UCAS applicants have expressed an interest in apprenticeship opportunities.

Later this year, UCAS will launch a new Talent Finder service for employers to tackle critical skills shortages and connect potential applicants to the businesses and industries who need them most.  UCAS are working with the Department for Education to ensure as many vacancies as possible are listed on UCAS, so the widest choice possible of opportunities will be available to the widest group of school and college leavers.

The Government’s Skills for Jobs White Paper set out a blueprint for reshaping the technical skills system to meet employers' needs better and benefit the wider economy. That’s why it’s encouraging to see a robust growth in demand for courses such as computing degrees up 9.6%. Applications for nursing degrees are down compared to last year, but there are still 33,570 applicants wanting to start a nursing degree this autumn helping fill NHS vacancies once qualified.

The UK remains a very attractive place for foreign students to apply to study, with applications increasing markedly from some countries like the US (+9.8%) and India (+5.4%) while others have declined like China (-4.2%).

Improving education is the guiding mantra of our Prime Minister to help provide the best opportunities for all. The UK has risen up the international rankings in terms of the achievements of students in schools. It is encouraging to see this leading into improving skills and employability for young people as they move into Universities or Apprenticeships.