Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a pledge to replace underperforming university degrees with 100,000 new apprenticeships annually if the Conservative Party wins the next general election. The initiative aims to close courses with high drop-out rates, poor job prospects, and low earnings potential. This new law would empower the Office for Students, England’s higher education regulator, to shut down these degrees.

The Conservative Party estimates that eliminating these so-called “rip-off” degrees would save £910 million by 2030 by reducing unpaid student loans. The savings would fund the expansion of apprenticeships, addressing sectors like nursing, teaching, and space engineering.

The Labour Party criticized the proposal, arguing that the Conservatives have overseen a decline in the number of new apprenticeships since they came to power. Labour promises to establish technical excellence colleges and reform the apprenticeship levy.

The Liberal Democrats also criticized the proposal, calling for urgent reform and addressing low apprenticeship wages and high drop-out rates.

Overall, this policy aims to improve job opportunities for young people by focusing on expanding high-quality apprenticeships and closing ineffective university courses.