CILEX calls for retention of Level 7 apprenticeship funding 

CILEX has expressed deep concern over the removal of funding for Level 7 apprenticeships, a move it warned threatened to undermine decades of progress in widening participation in higher-level learning and professional development.

In May, the Department of Education announced it would restrict funding for Level 7 apprenticeships, which include apprentices studying the CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ), to those aged between 16 and 21.

The development was among a range of changes forming part of a new £3bn apprenticeship fund, including “refocusing funding away from Level 7 (masters-level) apprenticeships from January 2026, while maintaining support for those aged 16-21 and existing apprentices”.

CILEX cautioned that making exemptions solely on the basis of age disadvantaged those with other protected characteristics.

Level 7 apprenticeships have been a vital route for individuals from under-represented backgrounds to access advanced education and legal training while earning a wage. This is particularly true of those who have diverse ethnic heritage, women (especially those returning to work and with caring responsibilities) and individuals from lower-income families.

CILEX urged the government not to close off a crucial pathway to legal roles for those who have faced systemic barriers in education and employment, with Level 7 apprenticeships retained for legal practitioners who need this option the most.

Then CILEX president Yanthé Richardson said that ensuring apprenticeship routes remained inclusive and equitable was vital and that “locking out routes to qualification for those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and those with protected characteristics can surely never be a good decision”.

She said the Department for Education should protect Level 7 funding, or “at the very least, ring-fence funding for those most at risk of exclusion”.

None of those currently on the Level 7 CILEX apprenticeship, the majority of whom are women, would benefit from the 16-21 exemption.

Recent data shows that Level 7 apprenticeships have been instrumental in improving social mobility, enabling learners without financial means to gain qualifications equivalent to a master’s degree without incurring student debt. CILEX warned the decision would effectively shut the door on this opportunity for many, reinforcing inequality in sectors where diversity is already lacking.