Reform UK has unveiled plans to incentivize businesses to take on young apprentices by offering tax rebates on their wages. The proposal, part of the party's initiative for a "skills revolution," would provide small and medium-sized businesses with a 30% rebate on the wages of apprentices aged 16 to 18. This policy is intended to support the party's goal of reaching 600,000 apprenticeship starts annually by 2034.
Reform UK's education spokeswoman, Suella Braverman, stated that the party would introduce an "apprenticeship wage credit" to achieve this aim. She also advised students receiving their GCSE results to consider vocational training over what she described as the "great university scam." Braverman argued that a significant number of graduates possess qualifications that do not align with the skills required in the country, suggesting that learning a trade would be a more beneficial use of their time.
The proposed wage credit is expected to save businesses an average of £4,000 per apprentice annually. Additionally, Reform UK plans to offer a £2,000 tax-free retention bonus to apprentices who remain with their training company for at least two years after completing their apprenticeship. The party estimates the total cost of these measures, which also includes a retention bonus, to be between £1.48 billion and nearly £2 billion over five years.
Funding for these plans, according to Reform UK, would come from banning foreign students from accessing taxpayer-funded loans and eliminating what the party deems "Mickey Mouse degrees." Braverman specifically pointed to fields such as "gender studies" and "golf course studies" as examples of degrees lacking necessity or value, though remarks about golf course studies have previously drawn criticism from industry groups like the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA).
These proposals emerge amidst broader discussions on youth employment and training. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has previously expressed a desire for technical career pathways to rival university degrees. The current government has also been exploring measures to encourage more young people into work, including financial incentives for parents on benefits to encourage apprenticeships, and has tasked former minister Alan Milburn with investigating the reasons behind the high number of young people not in employment, education, or training (Neets).