The apprenticeship system in England requires urgent action to
ensure disadvantaged young people interested in apprenticeships -
and whose prospects have already been impacted by Covid - do not
suffer a second educational blow, according to a new report.
The study, published today by the National Foundation for
Educational Research (NFER), examines the impact of recent
reforms on apprenticeship starts, both before and during the
pandemic. It highlights how apprenticeship opportunities for
young people from deprived backgrounds have been
disproportionately impacted by recent reforms to the
apprenticeship system – even before the pandemic.
Covid-19 has only exacerbated existing trends, as apprenticeship
starts among deprived and younger learners have continued to
decline disproportionately - in line with young people more
generally bearing the brunt of unemployment resulting from the
pandemic.
In order to support the recovery of apprenticeship starts for
young people, the report recommends that the funding system be
re-designed to meet and protect the needs of SME employers, not
only for the critical role that they play in our economic
prosperity but also for supporting apprenticeships among young
people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Key data from the report shows:
- Apprenticeship starts across learners of all ages fell by a
fifth between 2015/16 and 2018/19, and were driven by a rapid
decline in intermediate and advanced apprenticeships offered by
small and medium sized employers (SMEs).
- The decline in apprenticeship starts between 2015/16 and
2018/19 among the most disadvantaged apprentices was 30 per cent,
compared to three per cent among the least disadvantaged
apprentices.
- Apprenticeship reforms have also particularly impacted young
learners. This is mainly because older apprentices are more
likely to be doing higher level apprenticeships, which have
substantially increased in numbers since the reforms.
- Government reforms led to an increase in apprenticeship
starts in London, while starts fell in all other regions of the
country.
- The pandemic had a substantial impact on apprenticeship
starts, which declined by almost half (47 per cent) between March
and July 2020 compared to the same period in the previous year.
- Latest data suggests apprenticeship starts for young
apprentices and intermediate level qualifications remain far
below pre-pandemic levels. Apprenticeship starts
for younger apprentices aged under 19 in August 2020 to January
2021 were a third lower than before the pandemic, and less than
half the level of starts in 2015/16.
Jenna Julius, report author and Senior Economist at NFER,
said:
“Apprenticeships have the potential to act as a
vehicle for social mobility for young people, but our new report
shows that over the last decade, those who are disadvantaged are
increasingly being crowded out of the apprenticeship system.
“The pandemic has had a particularly significant impact on the
lives of young people, and we have to ensure that they do not
suffer a second educational blow. It is essential we re-consider
elements of the design of the current apprenticeship system to
ensure those hardest hit can access apprenticeship
opportunities.”
The report makes a number of recommendations:
The funding system needs to be re-designed to ensure that it
supports the needs of SME employers.
- Funding for training 16-18 year old apprentices should be
separated and protected from the main apprenticeships budget.
- Launch a nationwide campaign to raise the profile of
traineeships.
- Re-assess how minimum English and Maths requirements are
incorporated into apprenticeships.
- Require all employers to advertise apprenticeship vacancies
on Find An Apprenticeship (FAA). To complement this, the
government should provide targeted application support to young
people applying to apprenticeships from disadvantaged areas.
