Anyone should be able to become an architect. But apprenticeship funding is shaking the foundations

Architecture apprenticeships are relatively new, with the first cohort of students enrolling in 2018, but there is already a dark cloud looming over their future.

As of 1 January 2026, the Growth and Skills Levy no longer funds Level 7 (master’s level) apprenticeships for apprentices over 21 unless they are already enrolled, are care leavers or those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (ECHP) who are under 25.

For highly-qualified professions, such as architecture, this change has significant consequences. This is why we at Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) are calling on the government to raise the age of eligibility for Level 7 apprenticeship funding to 25 years old for built environment professionals. A highlight of my career has been having the opportunity to champion and support young architects, and I am deeply concerned at the impact this change will have on the next generation’s access to the profession.   

The traditional route to becoming an architect takes at least seven years and includes a master’s level degree. The other option is to undertake a Level 6 and Level 7 apprenticeship. While this still takes eight years to complete, it offers a way to learn and earn – combining academic study with working in practice and giving students structured professional experience.

But here lies the problem: the Level 6 apprenticeship takes four years to complete. Even students who begin their apprenticeship aged 18 will be 22 years old by the end of the programme, rendering them ineligible for Level 7 funding. Without funding, both architecture practices and apprentices have told me that they won’t be able to afford the costs, leaving Level 6 apprentices at risk of being unable to complete their studies.

This is the reality for Isha, a final-year Level 6 architectural assistant apprentice working in practice. Coming from a low socio-economic background, the apprenticeship route was the only viable way for her to enter the profession, allowing her to earn while learning and support herself financially.

Progression to Level 7 was the route she expected to take in order to qualify as an architect, but without access to apprenticeship funding at this stage, privately funding a masters-level qualification is not a realistic option.

As a result, despite years of study, practical experience and commitment to the profession, Isha now faces uncertainty about how – or whether – she can progress to full qualification, and call herself an architect. Her experience highlights how changes to Level 7 funding disproportionately affect those without the means to self-fund further study.

Read more:

• I was homeless at 16 after leaving care. My apprenticeship gave me a future
• Can apprenticeships fix the housing crisis? ‘I worked in childcare, now I fix social homes’
• How Labour’s housebuilding target of 1.5 million new homes hinges on just six private companies

As someone who grew up in council housing, I want anyone who aspires to be an architect to be able to become one, and knowing that flexible routes exist can help inspire not just the next generation, but also generations to come.

Not only does the decision to no longer fund Level 7 apprenticeships have a clear impact on individuals’ prospects of entering the profession but is also contrary to achieving the government’s own ambitions. The skills of built environment professionals are integral to the success of its growth agenda: from delivering economic growth and creating high-quality jobs across the country, to accelerating housing delivery. Maintaining the skills pipeline is critical, with apprenticeships a vital part.

Young people are also central to building a resilient and productive labour market. I was pleased to see the government’s pledge that two-thirds of young people will participate in higher-level learning, whether academic, technical or through an apprenticeship, by age 25. Yet restricting funding for Level 7 apprenticeships feels fundamentally contradictory to this aim. 

More than 70 organisations – including professional bodies, practices and universities – back our ask, urging the government to reconsider its current policy. The message from across the sector is consistent: investment in Level 7 for those up to 25 years old is essential to delivering national priorities and ensuring students from all backgrounds can access built environment professions.

National Apprenticeship Week should be an opportunity to reaffirm the value of flexible routes into high-regulated professions. For architecture and the wider built environment, ensuring that Level 7 remains accessible up to age 25 is a practical and proportionate step. If we are serious about building well-designed, safe and sustainable places, we must ensure that we have the skills pipeline on which housing delivery, infrastructure and net zero ambitions depend.

Chris Williamson is president of the Royal Institute of British Architects

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Change a vendor’s life this winter.

Buy from your local Big Issue vendor every week – and always take the magazine. It’s how vendors earn with dignity and how we fund our work to end poverty.

You can also support online with a vendor support kit or a magazine subscription. Thank you for standing with Big Issue vendors.