The government has conceded that under 19 apprenticeships were proving a “major challenge” after official figures showed a 10 per cent fall in the number of starts.

The number of 16 to 18-year-olds who started apprenticeships in the final quarter of the last academic year dropped 5,200 from the previous year to 22,000.

The figures, from the latest statistical first release, also showed how the total number of starts last year was 126,300 — a two per cent decrease on 2010/11.It was the first dip since 2008/09, when there were 99,400 starts.

The government had hoped to hit 133,500 16 to 18 apprenticeship starts for the last financial year and for 2012/13 was aiming at 140,200, with the Education Funding Agency setting aside £833m.

However, the latest figures could still be updated, and across all apprenticeship age groups they showed a 9.9 per cent rise last year to 505,200 starts.

A joint statement from the government and the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) said: “It is encouraging that despite being rigorous on quality and introducing tougher standards, apprenticeships are growing overall.

“Not surprisingly, raising the level of participation in apprenticeships among 16 to 18-year-olds is a major challenge within a difficult economic climate and the latest figures reflect that.”

FE Minister Matthew Hancock said: “Hitting the half-million mark is a momentous achievement for this government’s apprenticeship programme.

“It shows our passion for skills, and is a ringing endorsement from employers and apprentices alike, who are reaping the benefits of a more highly-skilled workforce.
“This rise comes despite tougher rules to make apprenticeships more rigorous.”

But the falling apprentice figures come just months after the government tried to boost numbers by allowing more businesses to ask for training grants worth £1,500.

The economic conditions are obviously a factor in terms of employers being able to offer places”

Only firms recruiting 16 to 24-year-olds with less than 250 employees could apply the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers, but the change meant employers with less than 1,000 staff could also apply. Up to 40,000 grants are being provided.

Shadow FE Minister Gordon Marsden said: “The statistics highlight the Tory-led government’s failure to achieve enough take-up of quality apprenticeships for young people crying out for these opportunities.

“The fact the number of 16 to 18 apprentices has fallen in comparison to last year also shows their failure to properly engage with businesses or to convince them to participate in taking on apprentices in the current economic climate.

“We would take action by using public procurement and government contracts to boost apprenticeship places. Ministers need to get a grip and urgently boost apprenticeship opportunities for young people, but they have refused to back our plans or acknowledge the findings of the Holt report they commissioned.

“What’s more, the fact that the numbers dropped steeply in the final quarter suggest this decline could be an accelerating trend.”

With the outcome of Doug Richard’s review of apprenticeships due out soon, an Association of Employment and Learning Providers spokesperson also called for a new pre-apprenticeship programme.

“The economic conditions are obviously a factor in terms of employers being able to offer places,” they said.

“Moreover, employers are raising the bar on entry requirements for full apprentices and this is why we feel a comprehensive pre-apprenticeship programme is now needed.”

And Association of Colleges skills policy manager Teresa Frith said: “Many young people are not being given the appropriate advice and guidance about options post-16.”

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Editors comment

To understand the decline in 16 to 18 apprenticeship starts, we need to consider the impact of changes to the definition of an apprenticeship.

The government blames the economic conditions, but there is nothing new there – the truth is much closer to home.

The Coalition passed legislation – drawn up by the Labour Party in power – with the effect of bringing an end to programme-led apprenticeships.

These apprenticeships were popular with thousands of unemployed 16 to 18-year-olds at training providers like Zenos (now Pearson in Practice).

Many programme-led apprenticeships continue to be delivered legitimately, but under the title access to apprenticeships with providers such as the De Vere Academy.

However, crucially, unlike the old programme-led apprenticeships, access to apprenticeships are not counted in government apprenticeship statistics until the learner has got a job.
Hidden away in the latest figures [SFR table 19.1 note 4] we find that 5,400 apprenticeships across all ages were on the access to apprenticeship scheme.

But a staggering 4,300 (80 per cent) remain unemployed. Some learners may yet become employed, but the SFA funding rules say providers should have no more than 10 per cent.

So in truth, the pre-2011/12 figures were inflated as they contained, I estimate, tens of thousands of unemployed learners.

To repeat, today these learners would not be counted as apprenticeships.

So let’s stop blaming the economy, and focus on policies that help as many 16 to 18-year-olds get the education and training they deserve.

Nick Linford, Editor

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10 Comments

  1. Not surprising given the indifference shown by too many schools in steering 16 year olds towards the apprenticeship pathway, the absence of any quality IAG in too many schools, the antipathy shown by the DfE to vocational pathways. And the new elephant in the room is the serious drop in university applicants which means an increasing availability of 18 year olds with A levels.

  2. Just imagine the captain of the Titanic saying:
    “Not surprisingly, lowering the level of water in the hold is a major challenge within a difficult watery environment given the hole in the hull and the latest deck angle reflect that.”

  3. Richard

    I’ve seen a number of articles/politican claims that apprenticeship starts are on the rise, without any regard for those starts being attributed to 25+ starts.

    The reality is, the trend is a reflection of Government funding. In 2009/10 the removal of Train to Gain became well known, so providers looked for something new to ‘go after’. The SFA served up 16-18 year old apprentices, hence the level of growth.

    In 2010/11, the growth slows as providers who suddenly deliver any form of under 19 volume are granted 19-24 funding, before the explosion of 25+ funding which providers saw as easy pickings or a replacement for TTG. Which is where the under 19 slow down begins.

    Many ‘experts’ wade in with short sighted viewpoints, which anyone is entitled to. However, if you work for a training provider you’ll recognise the trend of providers following whatever they can to try and survive in a topsy-turvy World of Government funding – with quality often being the first thing to suffer.

    Some providers flog the Grants like they’re giving away free tickets at Wembley, the objective purely being to get a bum on a seat with no thought of the experience of the young person. It has always been flawed and poorly regulated.

  4. It was bound to decrease eventually, as they push up the quality, the providers who were creaming government money through non quality short apprenticeships, but high starts and turnover, will stop delivering or reduce in size (see elmfield story) and the overall number of starts will decrease

    Personally I’d prefer to see 100 starts of excellent quality, meaningful training and a job at the end, than 1000 starts of 12 week customer service now stretched to 12 months with a pre apprenticeship course thrown in

  5. Over the last 12 months we have placed 150 apprentices with over 100 employers – ranging from Channel 4 and Ogilvy Mather to one man startups – the truth is that employer engagement is hard expensive work – providers should be incentivised to find real jobs with real employers for their apprentices.

    £1500 to good employer’s is not much of an incentive and if an employer does think it is a good incentive then most times I would rather not be working with that employer. The funding should be made available to training providers, paid every time they find a new employer or increase the number of apprentices that an employer takes on. That would help training providers to invest in good quality employer engagement.

  6. Malcolm Today

    The Apprenticeship situation will get worse before it get’s any better. Largely due to the schools not giving any decent Advise and Guidance and hanging on to students whether it’s in their best interest or not.

    The SFA/NAS do not intend to do anything about this. As far as they’re concerned it’s the Providers’ problem. Let’s see what they say when they are massively underspent over the next two or three years.

    Actually it’s the poor learners’ problem. They are being let down by their schools throughout their school lives and then being let down again at the end when actually they should just be let go, to go onto a decent apprenticeship or FE course. The way the schools are behaving should be made a criminal offence.