The government is considering the introduction of level 6 and 7 apprenticeships, skills minister John Hayes has revealed.

Provision for level 4 and 5 apprenticeships – equivalent to degree level – had already been made through the Higher Apprenticeship Fund, said Hayes, “and I expect levels 6 and 7 to develop as well within this parliament, over the next two or three years.”

The system needed to be progressive, Hayes explained yesterday evening at an apprenticeships roundtable organised by the CIPD. But he conceded there was a status issue when it came to viewing apprenticeships as a viable and valuable alternative to a university education.

“We need to develop the brand so it is understood as a professional route and as a highway not a cul-de-sac,” he continued.

Hayes added that while SMEs were currently offered a £1,500 incentive to take on their first young apprentice, he would also look at introducing incentives for training providers to engage with smaller businesses, as they could be tempted to focus on larger firms seeking to train dozens of apprentices.

Hayes said that it was important to encourage more firms to create apprenticeship programmes by making them “more navigable and less bureaucratic” and by expanding employer input into the qualifications framework.

“It’s about removing barriers, so more young people can take advantage of the opportunities available to them,” he said, adding that there was an £18 return for every £1 the government invested in apprenticeships.

Asked about his decision to introduce a 12-month minimum length for apprenticeships, Hayes acknowledged that it was a “complex argument”, and that he could appreciate calls for some shorter courses and the risk of non-completion of longer schemes.

“But the counter argument about quality is so strong, I came down on that side,” he explained.

Also present at the roundtable was Labour MP Adrian Bailey, chair of the business, innovation and skills select committee, which is publishing a report on the UK’s apprenticeship provision next month.

“I cannot anticipate the report’s recommendations,” he said, “but broadly there are issues around how long apprentices should be, their quality, value for money and the balance of apprenticeship provision versus skills needs.”

Speaking in the context of increasing numbers of older and existing staff being put through apprenticeship schemes by companies, Bailey acknowledged there were questions to be considered about “the length of time the government should fund apprenticeships for people with a body of skills, and for employers who can well afford training themselves.”

Although the overall number of apprenticeship starts swelled by 50 per cent to reach 442,700 in the 2010/11 academic year, government figures show that two in every five enrolments were by employees aged 25 or over.