Young people are missing out on opportunities because apprenticeship ‘coldspots’ have emerged across England, according to the IPPR.
The think tank argues that there is a postcode lottery when it comes to finding available apprenticeship employers, making schemes inaccessible to some.
It describes an “organic network” of apprenticeship intermediaries in England that aim to link organisations to apprenticeships and build awareness of opportunities, and argues that these should become more integral to how apprenticeships are run.
It also argues that the government should establish a body called Apprenticeships Support England that would ensure greater quality and consistency of support for employers.
According to the latest data from the government, apprenticeship starts fell by 30% from a peak of half a million in 2015 to fewer than 350,000 in 2021/22.
Apprenticeship issues
Research by City & Guilds and The 5% Club found that only 4% of employers have used their full apprenticeship funding in the last five years.
Figures have also shown that almost half of apprentices are now dropping out of apprenticeships, meaning the government could fail to meet its target of increasing retention of employees on these schemes to 65% by 2025.
According to the report, Join the Dots: The Role of Apprenticeship Intermediaries in England, greater intervention is a must if the apprenticeship system is to deliver on its potential and meet national skills needs.
Coldspots emerge in areas where businesses feel they lack the support to open up apprenticeship opportunities, meaning there is uneven geography of roles available, or some sectors where there are far fewer schemes on offer. Smaller businesses are also less able to offer support to an apprentice.
This means there is a “clear case for tackling regional skills disparities”, according to the IPPR.
By directing funding towards an intermediary body, the government could build an evidence base of the type of support that works, meaning it can offer a better framework in those areas.
It refers to the experience in other countries such as Germany and Norway, where there is well-developed and extensive support for apprenticeships through intermediaries and the schemes are considered of high quality.
The IPPR also recommends that the government creates “one-stop shops” to provide business engagement support for employers, including one-to-one help to navigate the apprenticeship creation process and how they can access funding.
It says the government should redirect the 10% top up provided to employers Apprenticeships Support England and offer to provide seed funding where gaps exist.
“Despite significant demand, the lack of support available to businesses is failing thousands of apprentices every year,” said Anna Ambrose, director at the London Progression Collaboration and co-author of the report.
“That means fewer skilled carpenters, plumbers and bricklayers to build the homes our communities need, fewer social workers to support the most vulnerable and fewer skilled engineers and environmentalists to protect our environment from climate change.
“With the right support for small businesses across England, thousands of young people at the beginning of their careers could benefit from apprenticeships every year.
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“Doing so would lift more people out of poverty and precarious work and turn the dial on nationwide skills shortages that are holding back economic growth.”
