London has continued to see the fewest apprenticeship starts by population of any region in the UK, amid warnings of a “recruitment crisis” facing the city.
Just 5.9 Londoners started apprenticeships in 2022/23 per every 1,000 working-age residents of the capital, according to figures from City Hall.
It comes after the mayor warned London was facing a “full-blown recruitment crisis” following the government’s announcements of stricter rules around skilled workers coming to the UK.
People must now earn above £38,700 to sponsor family members to come to Britain with them, in a tightening of the rules amid Tory infighting over legal and illegal migration figures.
Furthermore, this also follows warnings that apprenticeships in shortage occupations have fallen by up to 80 per cent since 2015, according to research from the Liberal Democrats.
Lib Dem business spokesperson Sarah Olney said the figure was “incredibly damning” and warned firms faced a “double whammy” as new migration rules cut off the labour supply from abroad, while “ministers fail to come up with a plan to tackle skills shortages at home”.
