A statement from the Department for Education confirmed that from this autumn “UCAS will expand its service so that young people can see more personalised options, including apprenticeships”.
This means that from 2024, students will be able to apply for apprenticeships through UCAS as well as undergraduate degrees.
UCAS research has shown that around half of people who register on the service say they would consider an apprenticeship, but currently there are not enough vacancies being advertised on UCAS to meet growing demand.
Education secretary Gillian Keegan unveiled the plan during National Apprenticeship Week this week.
Clare Marchant, chief executive of UCAS, said: “Presenting students with all their choices in one place will not only transform the apprenticeship offering but create real parity by putting these options side-by-side with undergraduate courses.
"With almost half of all UCAS users interested in apprenticeships, equating to hundreds of thousands of potential apprentices, we can help meet this growing demand by showcasing all post-secondary opportunities.”
More than 1.5 million students a year currently use the UCAS Hub to access information on different education and training routes. Under the changes, from this year students will be able to research and find apprenticeship opportunities alongside the usual range of undergraduate courses within the hub.
It will also show students the different routes into a career destination – so if a student is interested in engineering, they will see the undergraduate and apprenticeship routes displayed side-by-side.
And from autumn 2024, students will be able to apply for apprenticeships within the UCAS Hub and employers will be able to manage applications for their apprenticeship vacancies through UCAS.
The DfE said that the aim is to create a “one-stop-shop” where information can be accessed on all possible routes – apprenticeship, T levels, degrees, Skills Bootcamps, higher technical qualifications, or degree apprenticeships.