The number of apprenticeship starts continues to stay significantly below the level of last year, despite the introduction of the apprenticeship levy and sector bodies suggesting a rise should be on the horizon.
According to the latest government figures, published this morning, 194,100 apprenticeship starts have been reported so far for the first two quarters of the 2017-18 academic year, compared with 258,800 reported at this time in 2016-17. This represents a decrease of 25 per cent.
The government data shows that there have been 103,300 levy-supported starts so far, of which 82,200 were reported in the first two quarters of 2017-18. The apprenticeship levy was introduced last April as part of the government’s ambitious plan to create 3 million apprenticeships by 2020.
Growth in apprenticeship numbers was predicted in a CBI poll published in December. Almost half of businesses expected to recruit more apprentices in 2018, according to the survey.
Nothing done
Mark Dawe, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said: “Another month has passed and nothing has been done. The immediate priority is for the government to stop charging [small and medium-sized enterprises] for hiring 16- to 24-year-old apprentices at least until April 2019. We need more young people starting apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3 [which would be] good for social mobility and good for small business.
Tim Thomas, director of employment and skills at manufacturers’ organisation EEF, said the figures “should be the final signal to government that now is the time for a review and change”.
“While manufacturers are doing their best to push through the complexities of delivering apprenticeships, greater employer flexibility in using levy funds is needed so they can expand provision and deliver even more quality apprenticeships,” he said. “There are some green shoots appearing in today’s figures. The increase in higher-level apprenticeships and more starts on the new apprenticeship standards indicates a shift towards delivering more rigorous, high-quality apprenticeships, which will deliver the higher-level skills manufacturers need.
“The government should capitalise on this and implement the changes manufacturers have been calling for since the start, so employers can access the skills their businesses desperately need now and in the future.”
Big jump in higher-level apprenticeships
Apprenticeships and skills minister Anne Milton said: “We want to see more people doing an apprenticeship with all the opportunities it provides. However, it’s important not to sacrifice quality for quantity. So I’m pleased to see an increase in people starting apprenticeships designed under our higher quality standards, which we are developing with businesses, so those programmes meet the needs of employers and apprentices. We’ve also seen a big jump in higher-level apprenticeships, which can lead to a range of exciting, highly skilled jobs.
“Our reforms have fundamentally changed what apprenticeships are and the long-term opportunities they can provide. The apprenticeship levy is an important part of these changes to raise the quality of apprenticeships in this country, creating long-term, sustainable investment in training and education. Nearly 60 per cent of people starting on the new apprenticeship standards are levy-supported, showing that levy payers are working well with the new system.
“We want people of all ages and backgrounds to get the excellent training they need to secure great jobs, and we want businesses to get the skills they need to grow. Our changes to the apprenticeship system aim to do just that.”
‘National shortage’
Mike Taylor, an independent assessment examiner at the Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT) and owner of eight barbershops across Hampshire and Dorset, said the barbering and hair sector desperately need apprentices and there is a national shortage.
“Today’s stats are a reminder that more needs to be done for all businesses to get the right support to hire apprentices. The problem is not enough school leavers have been doing apprenticeships over the last few years, and now there is a massive skills shortage in trades.
“Many young people do actually want to do apprenticeships, but they end up staying in education until they are 18 because schools need the funding. I think this a problem that people are unaware of and they should be informed of all the options to help children make a choice based on the best option for them, instead of just being sold the university dream - it’s not the right option for everyone.”
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