David Willets on coalition's 'massive push' on apprenticeships

There is still a long term trend for more and more people going to university despite this year's decline, thinks David Willets.

Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme, the universities minister said that "more and more" employers are pushing to employ people with higher education qualifications.

The coalition have scrapped the Labour government's target of getting 50% of young people to university, and have focused on apprenticeships.

"In the coalition, we are doing a massive push on apprenticeships, we have increased the amount of apprenticeships by 200,000," he said.

"We often assume you can only go to university aged 18, but there may be opportunities later on in life, sponsoring by an employer, studying part time or taking a year out."