Businesses are being urged by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to offer more apprenticeships to young people who will soon be getting their exam results – because demand is now by far outstripping supply.
In 2023, 430,000 students expressed an interest in apprenticeship opportunities via UCAS – a 180% increase since 2021.
But the total number of apprenticeship vacancies publicised through the Department for Education’s Find an Apprenticeship service was only 189,430 for the last academic year – up 41% from 134,460 the previous year yet still nowhere near enough businesses are offering opportunities.
The message is clear ahead of A Level, T Level and GCSE results day that more employers need to offer apprenticeships to school leavers, to meet the demand generated by improvements in standards and scope of programmes following a decade of reform.
