Alex Proudfoot, Chief Executive of Independent Higher Education (IHE), said:
"Employers, training providers and learners alike will be feeling blindsided by the sudden defunding of successful apprenticeship standards in higher level management roles.
"While everyone understands that budgets are tight, this blunt measure risks undermining the Industrial Strategy's plans for growing critical industries by starving them of the next generation of leaders needed to underpin their success.
"We share the government's ambition to expand the breadth and accessibility of learning opportunities for young people, but this should not come at the expense of proven training pathways that play a critical role in supporting the wider economy.
"The UK's persistently poor productivity will not be helped by Westminster blocking business from using their own levy funds to invest in and develop the real-world leadership and management skills known to make the greatest difference in organisational performance.
"It is of paramount importance that government now work with the education sector and business to develop alternative pathways at pace that keep the pipeline of talent flowing, including more specialised training in entrepreneurial leadership and management for our fastest-growing industries.
"It is also time that employers were properly supported and incentivised through the tax system to invest beyond the levy in the development of their staff – making the most of the opportunity represented by the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement.”