Figures published this morning show a 12 per cent (14,600) fall in 16-18 apprenticeship starts, and a one per cent (7,400) fall across all ages.
The first set of figures below compare the full year provisional 2012/13 apprenticeship starts with the same report from the previous year.
The second set of figures compare the full year provisional 2012/13 apprenticeship starts with the final year figures for 2011/12.
These statistics are very worrying – especially since the government has been working to make apprenticeships a gold standard option equivalent to a university degree. But the news isn’t all bad.
A recent survey of 1,500 AAT students showed a 25 per cent increase in those studying as part of a formal accountancy apprenticeship scheme – up nearly 10 per cent from this time last year.
It’s crucial that 16-18 year olds are presented with opportunities to train on the job and get a foot on the career ladder and if we want to prevent the number of NEETs from going up, then employers across all industry sectors need to open their doors to school leavers. It’s good for business and it’s good for social mobility.
Almost as bad as the Success Rates in the new SFR……..