Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of higher apprenticeships available to 18-25 year olds as of 13 December 2021; and what recent assessment he has made of the quality of outcomes in terms of apprentices (a) completing their apprenticeships successfully and (b) securing permanent employment.

Apprenticeships provide young people with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start an exciting career in a wide range of industries, everything from artificial intelligence, archaeology, data science, business management, and banking. We want more young people across the country to benefit from high-quality apprenticeships.

In the 2020/21 academic year, over 28,200 under 25 year olds started higher level apprenticeships (at level 4 and above), an increase from 27,100 in 2019/20 and 24,400 in 2018/19. Employers decide which apprenticeships they offer and when in order to address their skills needs.

We are supporting employers to offer more apprenticeships to young people through encouraging more flexible training models such as front-loaded training, accelerated apprenticeships, and flexi-job apprenticeships. In addition, we continue to encourage more young people to consider apprenticeships through our Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme which reached over 600,000 students across England in the last academic year. Latest published figures show 1,500 higher level vacancies on the Find an Apprenticeship website which individuals of all ages can apply for. Employers can also choose to recruit apprentices through their own channels.

We know that achieving an apprenticeship leads to positive outcomes. Upon completion, 91% of apprentices go into work or further training with 89% in sustained employment and many apprentices remain with the same employer following their apprenticeship. Apprenticeships also offer good wage returns; median earnings for an apprentice completing at level 4 were £19,230 one year on, rising to £29,180 five years on.

In 2019/20, the overall apprenticeship achievement rate was 64% and we are taking action to improve achievement rates and ensure all apprentices receive a high-quality apprenticeship experience. This includes investing in a comprehensive package of professional development available to all apprenticeship providers and their workforces; extending Ofsted’s remit to inspect apprenticeships at all levels; and introducing a new risk-based accountability approach, comprising a wider set of quality measures to support provider improvement and more timely intervention.