Do you think its fair to do a degree apprenticeship if you have a degree already?

A lot of of the degree apprentices (previous and current) for this really big firm in London already have pre-existing degrees, a lot of them in similar areas to what they are doing the apprenticeship in.

I understand that some people have a change of mind on what they want to do but I feel like it’s a disadvantage for school leavers, considering the degree holders can begin an internship at big companies.

This defeats the purpose of degree apprenticeships in my opinion if they are being handed to people who have an obvious advantage over other entry level candidates.

what degrees did they have? because usually, you wouldn't be eligible for a degree apprenticeship if you already have a degree in a similar subject area e.g., if you have a degree in software engineering/computer science, you wouldn't be able to do a software engineering degree apprenticeship, and all companies + training providers say this from the start. you're right in saying that it would defeat the purpose of degree apprenticeships if that was the case - which is why it's not allowed. the whole purpose of a degree apprenticeship is that so an apprentice is learning new skills they didn't have before, and this has to be proven to external examiners through things like an EPA and a portfolio.
also, i think it's fine for someone who already has a degree to do a degree apprenticeship (provided that their degree is in a different subject area), because apprenticeships aren't just for school leavers, they're also for people who want to change their careers etc.