Young people are more interested in apprenticeships than ever before, but a flawed system is preventing them from pursuing them, according to new research.
Two new reports by Edge Foundation published today (18 September) call on the government to set up a one-stop shop for apprenticeships to offer wraparound support for young people entering work.
Edge cites statistics showing that over 40% of UCAS applicants in 2023 expressed an interest in apprenticeships, yet for every one application that is successful, three are not.
According to a poll conducted by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation for Edge, three-quarters of employers would find it somewhat or extremely useful to advertise apprenticeship vacancies on a central platform used by all employers and prospective apprentices.
Apprenticeships
Edge’s Chaos to Coordination report shows that, currently, applicants have a number of routes to find vacancies.
The government alone has three: the Find An Apprenticeship service; applicants can browse apprenticeships on the apprenticeships.gov.uk website; or there is an apprenticeship finder tool on the Skills England website.
On top of this, prospective recruits can also trawl UCAS, job boards or employers’ early careers pages for potential vacancies. According to the REC, 40% of employers are unaware of the government’s Find An Apprenticeship service, and this is higher outside London.
The need for a more joined-up system is particularly strong among small and medium-sized businesses, according to Edge’s Agents of Change report.
Almost 70% of SMEs polled by the REC said that tailored advice on how apprenticeships could meet their skills needs would encourage them to take on an apprentice, outranking cash incentives or training support.
Smaller employers were also less aware of work-readiness schemes or financial support available.
A third were unaware that they do not need to pay Class 1 national insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25 on an approved scheme, for example, and 43% were unaware of how to access training costs via the levy transfer scheme.
Almost half of those surveyed by the REC said that an apprentice who has already taken part in a work-readiness scheme or Foundation Apprenticeship would encourage them to take someone on.
SMEs would benefit from a nationally coordinated, locally delivered brokerage system for apprenticeships so they can access practical support, according to Edge.
Alice Gardner, CEO of Edge Foundation, said that the research showed how apprenticeships could be successful, “but only if the system works for young people and for the small businesses that want to employ them”.
“Right now, we have a generation eager to learn and contribute, and SMEs ready to grow their teams, yet both are being held back by unnecessary complexity and lack of support,” she added.
“By creating a simple, joined-up system and ensuring every employer can access practical advice, we can unlock thousands of life-changing opportunities.”
Kate Shoesmith, REC deputy chief executive, said apprenticeship reform would help support the almost 1 million young people who are currently not in education, employment or training.
“It is essential if the government is to have any hope of hitting their overall target of 80% of people in employment. They could start by delivering the flexibility within the Growth and Skills Levy funding model promised pre-general election.
“This would make apprenticeships and training more accessible for everyone. Employers tell us they want to take on apprentices, but many do not know about the support available or where to start. Simplifying the system would especially help smaller firms.”
A recent survey by Prospects at Jisc showed that there is growing confidence in young people seeking apprenticeships over degrees, with a quarter planning to take an apprenticeship this year, up from 15% in 2022.
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