The department does not hold representative data on prior qualifications held by apprentices, as this is not information that is mandatory for training providers to submit through an apprentice’s individual learner record. The department will only fund apprentices to undertake an apprenticeship at the same or lower level than a qualification they already hold if the apprenticeship allows the individual to acquire substantive new skills, and the provider can show that the content of the training is materially different from any prior qualification. This is to ensure that the department is not funding any duplication in training.

The department has seen year-on-year growth of degree level apprenticeships (Levels 6 and 7) with over 190,000 starts since their introduction in the 2014/15 academic year. An additional £40 million is being provided over the next two years to support degree apprenticeship providers to expand and help more people access this provision, on top of the £8 million investment in 2022/23.

The government has made significant reforms to the quality of apprenticeships to ensure they meet the needs of employers and bring wider benefits to the country and the economy. Apprenticeships have a minimum 12-month duration with more training (minimum 20% off-the-job) and are more rigorous and credible with employer led standards and independent end-point assessments.

Off-the-job training is an essential component and a legal requirement of an apprenticeship, supporting apprentices to develop the skills and behaviours set out in the apprenticeship standard so they can achieve occupational competence

When employers recruit an apprentice, they enter a legally binding contract that requires compliance with the apprenticeship funding rules. These rules must be followed by both employers and apprenticeship training providers to receive funding for the training and assessment of apprentices in England. It is mandatory for all apprentices, regardless of their programme, to complete a minimum of 20% off-the-job training.

To ensure that apprentices receive the required off-the-job training, providers must report both the planned and actual off-the-job training hours for every apprenticeship and the department conducts regular reviews of training provider activity through funding reports and quality assessment audits, taking necessary action to address providers found not to be following these rules.

The department also support providers by promoting a better understanding of the apprenticeship funding rules through online webinars, publishing myth busters and detailed guidance on off the job training, plus supporting evidence templates.

Available data on destinations of state-funded mainstream school leavers (after reaching the end of key stage 4, typically aged 16) shows that 2.4% of the cohort took up apprenticeships that were sustained for at least 6 consecutive months in the following academic year (2019/20 leavers’ active during 2020 to 2021 academic year). This was down from 3.7% in the previous year. The 2020 to 2021 academic year was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. More information is available in the attached table.

Apprenticeship starts by age group for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic years are shown in the table below. To note, some young people may not immediately enter into an apprenticeship after leaving key stage 4 study. The total number of 16 to 18 year olds starting an apprenticeship in the 2021/22 academic year was 77,520.

Apprenticeship retention and achievement rates by age group in 2020/21 and 2021/22 are shown in the table below. A number of factors may cause a learner not to complete or achieve their course, which could include learner dropout, change of employer or failure to pass end-point-assessment. For apprentices aged 16-18, the retention rate in 2021/22 was 54.8% and the achievement rate was 53.4%.

To note:

1. Volumes in tables are rounded to the nearest 10 and percentages rounded to 1 decimal place.
2. Achievement and retention rates are based on the Hybrid End Year, not academic year. The Hybrid End Year is the later of the Achievement Year, Expected End Year, Actual End Year or Reporting Year of a programme.
3. Apprenticeship retention reflects the number of apprentices that reach the end of their apprenticeship but have yet to undergo end point assessment. Apprenticeship achievements reflect the number of apprenticeships that pass end point assessment. In both cases, the rates are given as a proportion of the cohort that leave or expect to leave their apprenticeship in the relevant year (the Hybrid End Year).

The number of apprenticeship starts from the 2018/19 to 2021/22 academic years are available in the attached table.

The department does not publish apprenticeship starts and achievements by occupation but can use occupational maps from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to estimate occupation for apprenticeship standards. The occupational maps can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/occupational-maps/what-are-the-occupational-maps/.

In the 2021/22 academic year there were 68,400 starts on apprenticeship standards relating to occupations on the ‘Skilled Worker visa: shortage occupations’ list. The list can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations. These starts represent 20% of all starts on apprenticeship standards. There were 24,300 achievements of apprenticeship standards on the list, representing 21% of all achievements on apprenticeship standards.

Note:

• Figures are likely to be an underestimate. The occupational maps as published by IfATE relate each apprenticeship standard to the single occupation considered the closest match. This means some apprenticeships that might relate to more than one occupation, will not be identified as relevant.
• Apprenticeships have been mapped to the shortage occupations list solely by the IfATE occupational maps. The department does not have the information to align to the shortage occupations list further (for instance the department cannot identify the subject that an apprentice teacher specialises in).
• The ‘Skilled Worker visa: shortage occupations’ list is the version updated on 15 February 2022.

The department does not publish apprenticeship starts and achievements by occupation but can use occupational maps from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to estimate occupation for apprenticeship standards. The occupational maps can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/occupational-maps/what-are-the-occupational-maps/.

In the 2021/22 academic year there were 68,400 starts on apprenticeship standards relating to occupations on the ‘Skilled Worker visa: shortage occupations’ list. The list can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-shortage-occupations. These starts represent 20% of all starts on apprenticeship standards. There were 24,300 achievements of apprenticeship standards on the list, representing 21% of all achievements on apprenticeship standards.

Note:

• Figures are likely to be an underestimate. The occupational maps as published by IfATE relate each apprenticeship standard to the single occupation considered the closest match. This means some apprenticeships that might relate to more than one occupation, will not be identified as relevant.
• Apprenticeships have been mapped to the shortage occupations list solely by the IfATE occupational maps. The department does not have the information to align to the shortage occupations list further (for instance the department cannot identify the subject that an apprentice teacher specialises in).
• The ‘Skilled Worker visa: shortage occupations’ list is the version updated on 15 February 2022.

Apprenticeships provide people with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start a career in the arboriculture sector. There have been over 5.4 million apprenticeship starts since 2010, with 99.6% of the apprenticeships budget spent to support employers of all sizes to deliver high-quality apprenticeships in the 2021/22 financial year.

To support more employers across the country to recruit new apprentices, the department is increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year. This funding will not only help employers to create new apprenticeships across various sectors, including in arboriculture, but it will also cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already undergoing training, the cost of end-point assessments and any additional payments made to employers and training providers.

The below table shows apprenticeship starts and achievements for the level 2 Arborist apprenticeship standard, with a typical duration of 24 months. There have been no starts on the level 4 Arboriculturist or level 6 Professional Arboriculturist apprenticeship standards, as they are currently awaiting an appropriate end-point assessment organisation to be appointed.

Note: Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. Annual starts and achievements measures should not be directly compared, as apprentices will not achieve in the same year in which they started. The apprenticeship typically takes around two years to complete, and learners may take a break in learning during their apprenticeship.

The level 2 Arborist standard is presently undergoing a comprehensive review led by the trailblazer group, in collaboration with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Their collective efforts aim to improve the end-point assessment process, thereby increasing the number of apprentices who successfully attain the qualification. The revised standard is scheduled to be introduced by autumn 2023.

To encourage more starts, the department is making apprenticeships more flexible for employers in all sectors, supporting them to build a skilled workforce and develop a diverse pipeline of talent for the future. Furthermore, we have removed the limit to the number of apprentices that smaller employers can take on, making it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to grow their businesses with the skilled apprentices they need. The department also provides £1,000 to employers and training providers when they take on certain younger apprentices.

The department continues to actively promote apprenticeships in schools and colleges through our Apprenticeships Support and Knowledge Programme. This free service provides resources and interventions to help better educate young people about apprenticeships by giving them up-to-date information on the options available, including apprenticeships in arboriculture sector.

We do not hold information on the number of employers and professional bodies in the arboriculture sector that are signed up to Inspiring the Future, because the programme is not government funded. To obtain comprehensive and accurate information, we recommend contacting Inspiring the Future directly via their website, which can be accessed at: https://www.inspiringthefuture.org/about/contact-us/.

Apprenticeships provide people with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start a career in the arboriculture sector. There have been over 5.4 million apprenticeship starts since 2010, with 99.6% of the apprenticeships budget spent to support employers of all sizes to deliver high-quality apprenticeships in the 2021/22 financial year.

To support more employers across the country to recruit new apprentices, the department is increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year. This funding will not only help employers to create new apprenticeships across various sectors, including in arboriculture, but it will also cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already undergoing training, the cost of end-point assessments and any additional payments made to employers and training providers.

The below table shows apprenticeship starts and achievements for the level 2 Arborist apprenticeship standard, with a typical duration of 24 months. There have been no starts on the level 4 Arboriculturist or level 6 Professional Arboriculturist apprenticeship standards, as they are currently awaiting an appropriate end-point assessment organisation to be appointed.

Note: Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. Annual starts and achievements measures should not be directly compared, as apprentices will not achieve in the same year in which they started. The apprenticeship typically takes around two years to complete, and learners may take a break in learning during their apprenticeship.

The level 2 Arborist standard is presently undergoing a comprehensive review led by the trailblazer group, in collaboration with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Their collective efforts aim to improve the end-point assessment process, thereby increasing the number of apprentices who successfully attain the qualification. The revised standard is scheduled to be introduced by autumn 2023.

To encourage more starts, the department is making apprenticeships more flexible for employers in all sectors, supporting them to build a skilled workforce and develop a diverse pipeline of talent for the future. Furthermore, we have removed the limit to the number of apprentices that smaller employers can take on, making it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to grow their businesses with the skilled apprentices they need. The department also provides £1,000 to employers and training providers when they take on certain younger apprentices.

The department continues to actively promote apprenticeships in schools and colleges through our Apprenticeships Support and Knowledge Programme. This free service provides resources and interventions to help better educate young people about apprenticeships by giving them up-to-date information on the options available, including apprenticeships in arboriculture sector.

We do not hold information on the number of employers and professional bodies in the arboriculture sector that are signed up to Inspiring the Future, because the programme is not government funded. To obtain comprehensive and accurate information, we recommend contacting Inspiring the Future directly via their website, which can be accessed at: https://www.inspiringthefuture.org/about/contact-us/.

The government is committed to ensuring that all young people and adults can access high-quality careers information, advice, and guidance, regardless of their background.

The department is currently developing a Get the Jump communications pack to help Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) stakeholders share information about post-16 and post-18 education and training choices with GRT parents and young people. We will share the pack with members of the department’s GRT stakeholder group at its next meeting and will discuss how we can effectively support GRT young people.

The National Careers Service also provides free, up to date, impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, skills and the Labour Market in England.  It is delivered by over 750 careers advisers who help customers to make informed choices about their career options, whatever their age, ethnic group, and background.

Working with the Careers and Enterprise Company, Youth Employment UK have developed a free, new online programme designed to support home-educated young people. This project aims to engage young people with trusted, self-directed learning and high-quality signposting to information about pathways, online experiences of the workplace, sector information, and transitions support. Resources are being developed to be used by multi-agency frontline workers, local authorities, and support staff working with young people being educated outside of mainstream education.

The Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme is raising awareness of apprenticeships and T Levels to young people in schools and colleges. Since September 2022, it has worked with over 380,000 young people from across all regions and demographics.

In addition to working with schools that request support across the country, ASK targets selected levelling-up areas and works closely with schools with students identified as requiring additional support through its development school programme.

ASK works closely with local authorities to identify young people who are not in education employment or training (NEET), or at risk of being NEET to provide additional support. The programme also works with local authorities and a variety of supporting stakeholders to provide the service to young people outside of education.

The following table shows the proportion of participating apprentices in each age group studying at each apprenticeship level for the 2019/20 to 2021/22 academic years.

Note:
(1) Percentages derived from volumes published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/bc41867b-b0ad-4967-7403-08db2469d98f.

(2) As learners can study at more than one apprenticeship level in an academic year, the proportions at Intermediate level, Advanced level and Higher level may sum to be more than 100%.

Further apprenticeship statistics can be found in the Apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.

The apprenticeships budget is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts for all employers in England, to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers, providers, and apprentices.

The annual apprenticeship budget is set by HM Treasury (HMT). The table below shows the department’s ring-fenced apprenticeships budget, and the total apprenticeships spend in England from the 2016/17 financial year to the 2021/22 financial year. This reflects the impact of the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017 on increasing investment in apprenticeships and shows that in the 2021/22 financial year, 99.6% of the budget in England was spent, with only £11 million unspent. Apprenticeships are an employer-led programme, and as is usual practice, any underspends in overall departmental budgets by the end of the financial year are first returned to HMT, as per the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.

The Department’s ring-fenced apprenticeships budget and total apprenticeships spend for the 2016/17 to 2021/22 financial years:

The apprenticeships budget is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts for all employers in England, to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers, providers, and apprentices.

The annual apprenticeship budget is set by HM Treasury (HMT). The table below shows the department’s ring-fenced apprenticeships budget, and the total apprenticeships spend in England from the 2016/17 financial year to the 2021/22 financial year. This reflects the impact of the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017 on increasing investment in apprenticeships and shows that in the 2021/22 financial year, 99.6% of the budget in England was spent, with only £11 million unspent. Apprenticeships are an employer-led programme, and as is usual practice, any underspends in overall departmental budgets by the end of the financial year are first returned to HMT, as per the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.

The Department’s ring-fenced apprenticeships budget and total apprenticeships spend for the 2016/17 to 2021/22 financial years:

The following table shows apprenticeship learner participation by age with percentage breakdowns.

Employers have designed over 155 high-quality degree level apprenticeship standards, including in project management, to support the development of the skilled workforces they need. In the 2021/22 academic year, there were 590 starts on the Level 6 Project Manager degree apprenticeship, up from 140 starts in the 2018/19 academic year.

The department would like to see even more people benefit from the high-quality career opportunities that degree level apprenticeships provide and are taking steps to ensure that young people can access these opportunities more easily.

In addition to the department's Find an Apprenticeship service, which allows people to search and apply for apprenticeship vacancies, the department continues to work with employers to produce the biannual higher and degree level apprenticeship vacancy listing. The latest listing, published during National Apprenticeship Week, features over 300 vacancies across the country that are available to apply to in 2023. These vacancies are also being promoted to students through our Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme.

The ASK programme provides free resources in schools and colleges to ensure that students, parents, and teachers are aware of apprenticeships – including degree apprenticeships. The programme is supported by £3.2 million of funding per year and has worked with 5,000 schools, reaching over 1.7 million students and over 230,000 parents.

UCAS is also expanding its apprenticeships service, so that young people can see relevant apprenticeship vacancies on the UCAS hub, including degree apprenticeships. They are also working with the department to ensure that from 2024, students will be able to apply for apprenticeships alongside an undergraduate degree application. This means thousands more young people will benefit from a wider choice of high-quality options, and employers can benefit from better access to talent on UCAS.

Apprenticeship starts and achievements on the Arborist Apprenticeship Standard (ST0223) are shown in the below table.

Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10 and 'low' indicates a base value of fewer than five. This data has come from the Apprenticeships and Traineeships 2022/23 release, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/223f5602-9c34-4509-943f-08db08498a11.

The department is committed to ensuring that apprentice pay supports the attraction and retention of talented individuals into apprenticeships. It is right that apprentices receive a wage which is fair and commensurate with the value and skills that they bring to their workplaces.

We have taken steps to improve apprentice pay including aligning the apprentice national minimum wage rate with the national minimum wage rate for under 18s and accepting in full the recommendations of the independent Low Pay Commission to increase the apprentice national minimum wage by 9.7% from April 2023. This means an apprentice will be entitled to a minimum wage of at least £5.28 per hour in the first year of their apprenticeship. We are also continuing to work across government to tackle employer pay non-compliance and ensure apprentices receive the wages they are entitled to.

Many employers choose to pay their apprentices more than national minimum wage rates recognising the value that apprentices bring to their workplace. Our data shows that average hourly pay for apprentices ranges between £8.23 for Level 2 and £14.02 for Level 6.

Apprenticeships are available from level 2, equivalent to GCSE level, through to level 6, equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, and level 7, equivalent to a master’s degree. The attached file contains male/female breakdowns by apprenticeship level for apprenticeship starts from the 2017/18 to 2020/21 academic years.

Apprenticeship achievements from 2017/18 to 2020/21 are shown in the table below:

Total achievements are the count of apprenticeships achieved at any point during the stated academic period. Learners achieving more than one apprenticeship will appear more than once.

Further information on apprenticeships starts and achievements can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.

Apprenticeships are available from level 2, equivalent to GCSE level, through to level 6, equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, and level 7, equivalent to a master’s degree. The attached file contains male/female breakdowns by apprenticeship level for apprenticeship starts from the 2017/18 to 2020/21 academic years.

Apprenticeship achievements from 2017/18 to 2020/21 are shown in the table below:

Total achievements are the count of apprenticeships achieved at any point during the stated academic period. Learners achieving more than one apprenticeship will appear more than once.

Further information on apprenticeships starts and achievements can be found in the apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.

The proportion of females starting apprenticeships in Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies has risen from 7.3% in the 2017/18 academic year to 10.6% in the 2020/21 academic year.

The department wants to see even more women accessing traditionally male-dominated fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and those that offer the highest wage returns. 15% of starts in STEM apprenticeships were by women in the 2020/21 academic year, up from 11% in 2019/20 and 10% in 2018/19.

Our Apprenticeships Diversity Champions Network is championing gender representation amongst employers in industries where improvement is needed, including engineering and manufacturing. The network published a report during National Apprenticeship Week 2022 sharing best practice and hints and tips for employers to improve diversity in apprenticeships. In addition, our Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) Programme is continuing to provide free resources to promote STEM apprenticeships to girls in schools.

We are working with the Apprenticeships in Manufacturing (AiM) group, which includes industry partners such as Make UK and Enginuity, to grow the number of high-quality apprenticeships in the manufacturing sector.