Starts on new apprenticeships increased six-fold in 2017 to 2018There were 163,700 starts in 2017 to 2018 on apprenticeship standards, up from 24,600 the previous academic year
The number of people who started on new apprenticeships increased six-fold last academic year, latest figures have shown.
There were 163,700 starts in 2017/18 on apprenticeship standards, which are developed by groups of employers with the Institute for Apprenticeships. This was a huge increase from 24,600 the previous academic year.
The figures were revealed in the Department for Education’s final year data published today.
Sir Gerry Berragan, chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships, said: “
I am really pleased that there has been a major increase in the number of starts on standards-based apprenticeships, which shows that good progress is being made with the reform programme.
While the number of starts on apprenticeships overall has gone down, this is because of a drop in take-up in the older apprenticeship frameworks, which will no longer be funded from September 2020.
This reflects the significant efforts of employers through Traiblazer groups to develop 379 new apprenticeship standards since the reforms began.
Of the 163,700 starts on standards, 107,500 were levy supported starts, 36,800 were aged under 19, and 127,000 were aged 19 and over.
There have now been 193,100 starts on apprenticeship standards since their introduction in September 2014.
Background:
There were 375,800 overall apprenticeship starts reported in 2017/18, compared with 494,900 in 2016/17, according to the latest figures.
The Government announced in late 2013 that new apprenticeship standards would be developed by employers to better meet their skills needs. Companies were invited to come together in sector-based groups called Trailblazers to develop them.
These standards-based apprenticeships are replacing older apprenticeships frameworks.