NHS England (NHSE) and the Department for Health and Social Care have announced that they have secured a commitment for the continued funding of level 7 apprenticeships in five professions in health and social care until 2029. This includes nursing roles.
The Westminster government previously announced in May 2025 that it would shift funding away from higher level apprenticeships to focus on training at lower levels. This included ending the funding for level 7 (master’s level) apprenticeships for people aged over 21.
We raised our concerns about this decision to end the funding as it shut off an important career route for staff and also undermined the government’s own ambition to shift care from hospitals to the community, as is outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan for England.
Level 7 apprenticeships are needed to strengthen the pipeline into advanced practice, which is necessary for the delivery of safe and effective care.
The five professions for which funding is now available are:
- specialist community public health nurse
- community nurse specialist practitioner qualification for district nursing
- advanced clinical practitioner
- clinical associate in psychology
- population health intelligence specialists.
The reason for funding these specific apprenticeships is because the government has identified these as required to support the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan for England, especially the shift from hospital to community, and treatment to prevention.
Employers eligible for the apprenticeships are NHS or local authority funded providers of health and public health services, at national, regional and local levels.
Funding distribution will be across the country and based on workforce need, training provider capacity and the priorities set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. There's also a cap on the number of apprenticeships that can be funded.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “Investment in nurse education is critical for staffing the NHS and the government’s ambition to shift care into the community in England.
"We warned how damaging the decision to shut off this funding route for level 7 apprenticeships would be and it is a welcome step to see funding options restored to these vital specialist career routes.
“We await further information on the availability of funding within the level 7 apprenticeship mitigation fund.”
