OVERVIEW
The proportion of former applicants who didn't pursue an apprenticeship due to lack of supply in their preferred location.
Just a fifth of degree apprenticeships are aged 20 or under.
Fewer apprentices are eligible for free school meals than undergraduates.
How can we change this?
Our research has uncovered practical, evidence-based solutions to make sure there are more high-quality apprenticeships available to young people and that these can be accessed by the most disadvantaged.
Increase the supply of apprenticeships
Increase the supply of apprenticeships
As Sutton Trust data has shown, apprenticeships have become more and more popular with young people, parents and teachers. However, this welcome increase has not been met with increased supply of places for young people. In fact, the number of apprenticeships for young people has declined since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017. And while the growth in higher and degree apprenticeships has been welcome, providing high quality opportunities to earn and learn, those opportunities are increasingly taken up by older and better-off apprentices. This means the apprenticeship system is not delivering on its promise of greater social mobility.
Action should be taken to increase the supply of apprenticeships at all levels, particularly targeting young people. Incentives for employers to create more opportunities could include:
- Funding to backfill apprentice time spent on off the job training.
- A reintroduction of apprenticeship incentives, with £3,000 offered to employers for hiring new apprentices under 25.
- A review of support provided to apprenticeship employers, particularly SMEs, including pastoral support for apprentices.
WHERE NEXT: WHAT INFLUENCES THE CHOICES OF WOULD-BE APPRENTICES? (2023)
Improve the levy
Improve the levy
Employers, whether large levy payers or small and medium enterprises, need further incentives and support to create new opportunities. It is clear that the current employer-led system is not delivering this. If we want to make creating high quality work-based alternatives to higher education a priority, this will require a greater action from government, through investment as well as strengthening of rules through the levy.
There needs to be a particular focus on increasing the number of apprenticeships targeted at young people. To encourage this, at least 50% of each employer’s levy should be ringfenced for under 25s.
To ensure that apprenticeships can be transformational for social mobility, and aren’t dominated by those from better-off homes, the spending of levy money on access activities should be both permitted and promoted, including bursaries, outreach, recruitment and travel/relocation expenses for disadvantaged apprentices. The care leaver bursary for young apprentices should also be extended to young people eligible for free school meals.
Better progression
Better progression
The majority of apprenticeship starts are at levels 2 and 3, which is equivalent to GCSE and A-levels. Progression to higher level qualifications is crucial to the workplace prospects of young people, yet too often they run into an invisible ceiling.
Progression through levels should be boosted, with an ambition to provide seamless progression to higher level qualifications. The requirement to pass GCSE English and maths to complete an apprenticeship should be abolished, and replaced with a requirement to continue an alternative course of study focused on core English and maths skills.
Better careers advice
Better careers advice
High-quality apprenticeships offer young people the opportunity to ‘earn while you learn’, gain valuable skills and get a foot on the career ladder. Yet too many young people do not know enough about apprenticeships and the career prospects they can offer them.
There should be a stronger drive from government to support and encourage employers to improve the quality and availability of apprenticeships for young people, and for young people to take them up. Careers advice in schools should be clearer about the potential careers, salaries and progression prospects from taking an apprenticeship in different sectors.
THE RECENT EVOLUTION OF APPRENTICESHIPS (2022)
As of October 2020, employers reported that just 31% had continued their apprenticeships without disruption since the beginning of the pandemic.
Nearly half of apprentices had been, or were still, furloughed in October 2020.
One in three apprentice employers expected to hire fewer or no apprentices at all over the coming year.
How can we change this?
Support for employers
Support for employers
The unique position of apprenticeships – which combine education, training and employment – has made the sector particularly vulnerable to the current health crisis. Many employers have faced serious challenges due to economic downturn and this has the potential to impact on the number of apprenticeship opportunities available. As well as a being a valuable route to social mobility, apprenticeships can play a key role in economic recovery, so it is vital that numbers do not fall.
The government’s introduction of financial incentives for employers to hire new apprentices is welcome. With the new lockdown in 2021, these incentives should be extended past March to ensure that employers continue to be supported and encouraged to hire apprentices.
Careers advice
Careers advice
A key barrier to apprenticeship take-up is often a lack of awareness and information on the apprenticeship route. Information, advice and guidance for young people considering apprenticeships is therefore vital and should be protected during the pandemic and beyond.
While young people are missing out on face-to-face- support and open days, outreach from employers, and support from schools and colleges should continue and be moved online where possible.
Levy reform
Levy reform
With the likelihood of limited funding in the future, it is even more vital that apprenticeship levy funding is focused in the right direction. The government should consider a maximum salary ceiling for levy-funded apprentices, ensuring that levy funding is not being spent on highly-paid and well-qualified senior staff.
Other measures to reduce the strain on levy funding should also be considered, for instance, requiring employers to ‘top up’ levy funding for certain categories of apprentice, or otherwise incentivising apprenticeships most conducive to increasing opportunities for groups who need it most.
The Sutton Trust Access Apprenticeship programme allows students to meet leading employers and like-minded peers, and learn more about how to access top apprenticeships.
