Architecture Industry Forum

Available to attend in person or online!

The University of Kent Level 7 Architect Apprenticeship has gained strong and growing interest from aspiring architects and employers alike. The programme has received excellent feedback from external examiners, achieved impressive academic outcomes, and become recognised as an affordable and accessible route to professional registration. For many, it represents the only viable pathway into the profession.

However, recent changes to apprenticeship funding have made a significant number of potential apprentices ineligible to apply, creating confusion and concern across the sector.

This open forum, hosted by the University of Kent’s School of Architecture and Arts (SAA), is designed for employers and organisations in the architecture sector only. It will provide an opportunity to:

• Understand the recent funding changes and how they may impact your business.
• Explore the remaining opportunities available to employers and apprentices under the new funding model.
• Discuss how closer collaboration between employers and universities can help maintain accessible, high-quality routes into architecture.

Working together to create opportunity

We also want to explore ways to make it easier for employers to:

• Offer vacation employment or internships to undergraduates who have completed two years of study.
• Engage with final-year students through mentoring programmes.

These steps would help more graduates transition directly from their BA into the Level 7 Apprenticeship, often soon after graduation.

In addition, we’ll outline several alternative models of architectural education we are exploring, including:

• Level 6 (first degree) Architectural Assistant Apprenticeships
• Non-apprenticeship part-time courses (similar to the Level 7 programme but without government funding, open to all ages)
• Accelerated integrated master’s degrees (combining BA and MArch into a shorter study period)
• Standalone CPD events drawn from our established Part 3 course

These discussions are aligned with the Architects Registration Board’s Professional Practical Experience (PPE) Commission Report, which calls for stronger collaboration between universities and employers and better integration of design, technical, and professional learning.

At the University of Kent, we’re proud that our programmes (particularly the Level 7 Apprenticeship) already reflect many of these recommendations. This forum is an opportunity to work together to ensure the profession remains accessible, sustainable, and equipped to meet future challenges.

Please note:
This event is strictly for employers and organisations in the architecture sector. Individual students or apprentices will not be able to attend.

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Host or Publisher University of Kent Apprenticeships Team