London Apprenticeships Industry Update 2021/22

Trends by business size

Larger firms in London are now more likely to offer apprenticeships. This is unsurprising as larger firms have greater capacity to take on apprentices and have a greater incentive due to paying the apprenticeship levy. However, since 2019/20 there has been an increase in apprenticeship starts by all business sizes (although this is partially explained by an improved data matching process).

All business sizes saw a fall in achievements in 2021/22 which is partially explained by apprenticeship starts being lower in 2019/20 (a large proportion of apprenticeships take two years to complete). The latest full year apprenticeship data saw a recovery in the number of achievements in 2022/23.

• Starts
• Achievements

Trends by employer sector

Where possible, the DfE’s statistics on apprenticeships by industry characteristics provides information on which sectors employers of apprentices are in. This can be combined with ONS workforce jobs data to calculate, for each sector, the number of apprentice starts per 1,000 workforce jobs.

• Health and Social Work employers had the most apprenticeship starts in 2021/22, both in terms of total starts (8,620) and in terms of starts per 1,000 workforce jobs (13.8)

• Between 2017/2018 and 2021/22, the sectors with the largest increases in starts per 1,000 workforce jobs were Public Administration and Manufacturing. In contrast, Arts, Entertainment & Recreation saw the largest fall in the rate of apprenticeship starts per 1,000 workforce jobs.

• Apprenticeships can play a crucial role in filling skill gaps in London sectors. Data from the Employer Skills Survey 2022 shows that Business Services (25,046 vacancies in Professional and Administrative Services), Accommodation & Food Services (14,828 vacancies) and Human Health & Social Work (10,465 vacancies) had the highest number of skills related vacancies in London.

• Apprenticeship starts in 2022/23 can help fill these roles with 8,620 starts in Human Health & Social Work and 9,490 in Business Services. However, there are a comparatively small number of starts in Accommodation and Food Services, 2,720, and the number of starts has fallen from 2017/18 levels.

• Total starts by sector
• Starts per 1,000 workforce jobs

Subjects studied by sector

The data is also available by programme aim title. Learning aims are a single enrollment at a provider as represented on the Individualised Learner Record. The programme aim describes the overall apprenticeship programme, in other words it is the main subject studied on the apprenticeship. The data shows the top ten starts in the sector, or those with at least 20 starts.

• Team Leader or Supervisor is in the top ten starts for all sectors.

• Across different sectors data analysis apprenticeships come up as a top aim (Education, Manufacturing, Wholesale & Retail, Transport & Storage, Information & Communication, Financial & Insurance Activities, Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities, Admin & Support Services, Public Admin & Defence)

• There is a limited number of creative based apprenticeships in Arts, Entertainment & Recreation, with the majority being either operational or sports-based.

• Apprenticeships are a key way into early years. Data from Lightcast suggests that there will be around 2,200 additional early years and childcare workers needed each year until 2028. However, there were only 1,770 apprenticeship starts in early years educators or practitioners suggesting current apprenticeship levels are not sufficient to meet London’s demand.

• Similarly, for many occupations in construction, apprenticeships are a key pathway into the proffession. In 2021/22 there were 80 scaffolding apprenticeship starts and 100 in carpentry and joinery. These start numbers are low compared to the predicted annual need (from Lightcast) of 430 carpenters and joiners needed in London each year and 140 scaffolders.

• Starts
• Achievements