Apprenticeships
The number of apprenticeship starts and achievements a year fell sharply during the Covid 19 pandemic, both in London and across England as a whole, which is not surprising in the context of both the restrictions and the economic circumstances. However, the number has fallen further in the latest year, when all restrictions have been removed, but with the new economic crisis around the cost of living. London provided a relatively small number of apprenticeships compared with other regions in the first years of the scheme, though that proportion has increased over the last five years.
The data cannot be presented as proportions, so comparisons between areas are difficult, but one reason for the lower numbers in London might be the relatively high proportion of London workers with degrees and other higher level qualifications.
Most apprenticeships last between one and four years, so starts and completions in any year may be different individuals. Taking this into account, it appears that achievements are around half the number of starts. There could be a number of reasons for this, such as more apprenticeships at higher levels, so taking longer to complete, people moving into other jobs before the apprenticeship is completed or simply finding that the role is not suitable.