Reform UK unveils £2bn apprenticeship plan to counter 'university scam'
Reform UK has proposed a new 'apprenticeship wage credit' that would offer small and medium-sized businesses a 30% rebate on the wages of 16-to-18-year-old apprentices. The party aims to reach 600,000 annual apprenticeship starts by 2034, arguing that current university pathways are a 'scam' that leaves young people in debt. The plan includes a £2,000 retention bonus for apprentices who stay with their training firms for two years. To fund the estimated £1.48bn to £2bn cost, Reform proposes banning foreign students from accessing taxpayer-funded loans and eliminating what it calls 'Mickey Mouse degrees.'
