National Apprenticeship Week takes place this week
(6th to 10th March) and marks ten
years of promoting apprenticeships in the UK. Here,EEF, the
manufacturers’ organisation, provides 10 key facts about
apprenticeships and their importance and value to the sector and
the wider economy:
- 1. 72% of
manufacturers say raising awareness of apprenticeships will get
more young people into engineering[1]
- 2. 79% of
manufacturers were committed to recruiting engineering
apprentices in 2016 - 45% were committed to recruiting
apprentices in other parts of the business[2]
- 3. 46% of
manufacturers say they will increase their intake of engineering
apprentices as a result of the new Apprenticeship Levy - 35% say
they will recruit apprentices in other areas[3]
- 4. A quarter of
manufacturers (26%) believe the
Apprenticeship Levy could encourage more young people to choose
apprenticeships - three in ten (xx%) see it as an opportunity to
increase apprenticeships within their business[4]
- 5. In 2015/16 there
were 78,480 manufacturing and engineering apprenticeship starts,
representing 15% of all apprenticeship starts for the
year[5]
- 6. 40% of
manufacturing and engineering apprenticeships in 2015-16 were at
advanced or higher level[6]
- 7. Only 7% of
students at state-funded mainstream schools and colleges went on
to an apprenticeship after key stage 5 compared to 48% that went
on to a UK higher education institution[7]
- 8. 55% of those who
completed an apprenticeship last year were female – but women
made up less than 6% of those who completed a STEM
apprenticeship[8]
- 9. Three-quarters of
manufacturers say all their apprentices stay with the company
upon completion of their apprenticeship[9]
- 10. The average hourly pay rate for
engineering apprentices is £6.50, almost double the minimum rate
and engineering apprentices are more likely to receive a
bonus[10].
Verity O’Keefe, Senior Employment
and Skills Policy Adviser at EEF,
says: “With the Apprenticeship Levy about to come
into play, this years’ National Apprenticeship Week will be in
sharp focus. With growing awareness and take up of
apprenticeships, there’s much to celebrate. At the same time,
there’s still much to do, particularly around boosting the number
of young people and especially girls taking STEM subjects.
“Manufacturers are great champions of apprentices and for many
years have offered high quality apprenticeships that frequently
turn into longer-term careers with the same company. They applaud
the fact that the new Apprenticeship Levy will help to encourage
more young people into apprenticeship opportunities, but are
deeply concerned that it could unwittingly dampen down the
quality of what is on offer. It’s vital that the Government takes
on board their concerns.”
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
