The Mayor has pledged to work with London’s employers to create high-quality jobs and apprenticeships.[1] He has also set a target for London to be net zero carbon by 2030, in which apprenticeships are seen as important pathways to develop the skills to achieve this.[2]

This blog summarises some of our recent analysis around green apprenticeships, which found that:

• Apprenticeships are comparatively low in London compared to other regions in England. Additionally, since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017, apprenticeships in London have shifted to higher levels (courses above the level and difficulty of an A level) making it more difficult for young people to access apprenticeships across a number of sectors.
• The share of apprenticeships that are green has been rising in London but is still below the share seen in the rest of England.
• Younger apprentices are more likely to be on a green apprenticeship compared to older learners. Efforts to increase the number of young Londoners on apprenticeships and the number of green apprenticeships could therefore, go hand in hand.

Apprenticeships in London

Box: What is an apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships are paid jobs that include on the job and off the job training, and lead to a nationally recognised certificate. They allow individuals to simultaneously get hands on experience working in an industry while also participating in formal training. Apprenticeships range from a Level 2 qualification (equivalent to a GCSE) to Level 7 (equivalent to a master’s degree).

Apprenticeship starts in London are comparatively low. Over the last 14 years the number of apprenticeship starts in London per 1,000 16-64 population has been consistently below all other regions in England. In 2023/24 there was 9.4 starts per 1,000 population in England but only 6.1 in London. There are a few main reasons for this: more individuals go to university in London, the cost to live in London while doing an apprenticeship is higher and London has relatively less businesses in key apprenticeship sectors.

In 2017 there were key changes to apprenticeships including the introduction of the apprenticeship levy[3], aiming to improve the quality of apprenticeship provision. The levy is charged at a 0.5% rate to businesses with an annual pay bill over £3 million, which can be reclaimed to cover the cost of apprenticeship training. One consequence of the introduction of the levy and wider reforms was to shift apprenticeship provision in London to higher levels. Since 2016/17 the share of London apprenticeships at a higher-level (Level 4 and above) has increased from 10% to 46%, as shown by Figure A1. This shift makes it harder for younger learners who would tend to do a more entry level apprenticeship to access apprenticeships.

Figure A1: Apprenticeship starts by level in London

Source: DfE Apprenticeship 2023/24 update, based on learner home location.

How do you define a Green Apprenticeship?

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) have developed a framework for defining green apprenticeships.[4] Their definitions are based on occupations that will help the UK of becoming net-zero by 2050, and the associated apprenticeships. They use three categories of green apprenticeships:

Table A1: Definitions of Green Apprenticeships

Dark Green	Apprenticeships and occupations that have a direct link to delivering sustainable and net zero outcomes such as a Smart Meter Installer.	230 starts in London in 2023/24
Mid-Green	Apprenticeships and occupations that will be adapting to the green transition to include new technologies and approaches, for instance an Electrician. The application of this occupation will change.	4,280 starts
Light Green	Some of this role will be adapted to suit sustainable working, for example sustainable disposal of equipment.	32,380 starts
GLA Green	In addition, the GLA also includes bricklayers (linked to insulation), carpenters and joiners (linked to retrofitting) as we transition to more green buildings in the capital.	280 starts

Source: GLA Economic Analysis of DfE Apprenticeship 2023/24 update and IfATE Occupational maps

The majority of Dark Green apprenticeships are in Agriculture, Engineering and Manufacturing and Business Administration. Whereas the majority of Mid-Green apprenticeships are in Construction, Engineering and Manufacturing. Some of the top Dark and Mid-Green apprenticeships in London are:

Table A2: Top Dark and Mid-Green Apprenticeships

Green Type	Apprenticeship Name	Number of starts in 2023/24 in London
Dark Green	Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative	77
Dark Green	Dual Fuel Smart Meter Installer	35
Dark Green	Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Practitioner	36
Mid-Green	Passenger Transport Driver - Bus and Coach or Tram	435
Mid-Green	Installation and Maintenance Electrician	575
Mid-Green	Chartered Surveyor (Degree)	260

Source: GLA Economic Analysis of DfE Apprenticeship 2023/24 update based on learner home location and IfATE Occupational maps

Are Green Apprenticeships growing in London?

Since 2018/19 there has been a rise in the number of green apprenticeships in London. Starts have increased from 3,160 to 4,780 when combining Dark, GLA and Mid-Green apprenticeships, or as shown by Figure A2, the share of all apprenticeships that are green has risen from 8% to 13%. In particular, there has been a large rise in Mid-Green apprenticeships which make up the largest share of green apprenticeships.

Figure A2: The share of London apprenticeships in green apprenticeships

Source: GLA Economic Analysis of DfE Apprenticeship 2023/24 update and IfATE Occupational maps

Despite this, the share of green apprenticeships is below the rest of England which has 20% of apprenticeships that are green. Partially this difference is explained by a different occupational make-up of apprenticeships in London with lower shares of apprentices in Agriculture, Construction and Engineering and Manufacturing. However, data on the demand for green expertise (shown by job posting data) suggests a higher demand for green expertise in London than in many other regions of the UK.[5]  Although this difference is partially explained by green skill demand in London being particularly in professional green skills, such as sustainability specialists, ESG finance and carbon analysts, which may be less suited to apprenticeship and vocational training.

How do Green Apprenticeships vary by age?

Younger Londoners are more likely to be on a green apprenticeship. As shown by Figure A3, the share of starts that are green apprenticeships was 27% for apprentices under 19, 18% for those 19-24 and 6% for those aged 25 or above.

In part this is due to more green apprenticeships being at a lower level, which are more likely to be done by younger Londoners. However, this also fits with wider evidence that younger people tend to be more interested in working in green and environmental orientated jobs than older workers.[6]

Figure A3: Share of apprenticeships that are green by age in London

Source: GLA Economic Analysis of DfE Apprenticeship 2023/24 update based on learner home location and IfATE Occupational maps. Note: Green apprenticeships here includes Dark, GLA and Mid-Green apprenticeships.

What does this mean?

Overall, green apprenticeships can provide an important way of delivering the skills needed for London to reach net zero carbon by 2030, particularly in disciplines related to the built environment. Evidence suggests that over this decade there will be an increase of 270,000 green jobs in London, highlighting the clear skills need.[7] Additionally, apprenticeships can simultaneously help more young Londoners to access apprenticeships in London. Green apprenticeship starts are rising in London but need further intervention to match the rates seen in the rest of England.  

For more information on apprenticeship trends in London, see our regular apprenticeship release page which shows the latest data by learners and employer types in an interactive format.

For more information on green jobs in London, see our regular updates on Green Job Postings release page, which shows the demand for green jobs, the occupational distribution, the top green skills and job titles and regional demand.

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[1] https://www.london.gov.uk/sadiq-khan-pledges-make-london-byword-opportunity-he-signs-historic-third-term-mayor-london

[2] Pathways to Net Zero Carbon by 2030 | London City Hall

[3] Pay Apprenticeship Levy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

[4] Green themes (instituteforapprenticeships.org)

[5] Green Job Postings - London Datastore

[6]Green Jobs Taskforce report (publishing.service.gov.uk)

[7] https://wla.london/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Green-Jobs-and-Skills-in-London-Final-Report-amendment.pdf