Levy reform cuts Level 7 funding. Digital upskilling providers are rethinking their offer.
From January 2026, Level 7 apprenticeship funding is restricted to younger learners. Colleges and employers are adjusting. Degree apprenticeship providers are rethinking their offer.
By Wistl Editorial · · FE / Training
From January 2026, levy funding for Level 7 apprenticeships became available only to new apprentices who were aged 16 to 21 when they start. The change, announced by the government in May 2025, removed access to levy-funded senior and postgraduate apprenticeships for workers in their thirties, forties and fifties who had previously used the programmes to pursue MBA-equivalent qualifications, often with their employer's backing. The impact on providers has been immediate. Universities and specialist training organisations that built significant revenue on Level 7 delivery, including degree appr