The recent A Level results highlight the striking contrast in educational attainment between northern and southern students. According to recent research by TES (formerly the Times Educational Supplement) on this year’s A Level results, the North East received the lowest proportion of top grades, with only 22.9% achieving an A* or A, down from 23.9% last year. The data also revealed a 6.8 percentage point gap between Yorkshire and the Humber and London, where 32.1% of entries attained top marks. In an increasingly competitive environment, students from southern regions are consequently more likely to obtain the high grades necessary for admission to elite universities and selective apprenticeship programmes.

The disparity in educational attainment reflects a complex interplay of factors, from funding differences and the concentration of resources to challenges facing schools in disadvantaged communities. But the result is stark: fewer young people from the North are achieving the qualifications that open doors to higher education and professional careers.

Just as the North grapples with these entrenched educational disadvantages, a further blow has landed with the decision to scrap Level 7 (master’s degree equivalent) apprenticeship funding for people aged over 21. The government’s decision has dismayed educators, businesses, and professional bodies alike. At ICAEW, we have sounded the alarm on the government’s move to reduce funding for these advanced apprenticeships, particularly in accountancy. Given that the average starting age for a Level 7 ICAEW apprentice is 22, withdrawing funding from this group is likely to have significant implications for firms, the development of essential skills, and the overall health of the economy.

Level 7 apprenticeships are highly skilled, and this policy shift threatens to further widen the gap between aspiration and opportunity. This funding cut threatens the development of local talent and economic growth in the North. Educational disparities between northern and southern England are deepening, significantly affecting social mobility and regional prosperity.

For many young people in the North, apprenticeships at Level 7 have been a vital route into high-skilled, well-paid careers. Without them, there is a real risk that those from less privileged backgrounds will see their professional aspirations thwarted. The removal of these opportunities is not only a personal setback, but also a blow to local businesses, accountancy practices, and wider industry, who rely on a pipeline of local talent to thrive and grow. The North’s ability to attract and retain its brightest young minds is already under pressure. As educational attainment lags and routes to advancement diminish, we risk entrenching a cycle of disadvantage, where young people look outside the region for opportunity or are unable to access the professions at all.

If the government’s commitment to “levelling up” is to mean anything, it cannot ignore the critical link between education, professional opportunity, and regional prosperity. ICAEW will work closely with firms, apprentices and training providers to help them navigate the removal of the Level 7 funding. Alan Vallance, Chief Executive of ICAEW confirmed, ‘our position remains that an age exemption of 18-25 would be an effective compromise that supports the government’s wider objective for growth. We would urge the government to closely monitor these changes through the lens of economic growth and reconsider if they have been effective in a year's time.’

Written by: Kim Johnston, ICAEW Regional Director