Apprentices
(asked on 23rd February 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the average duration to apprenticeship gateway and what was the maximum apprenticeship funding available in (1) 2015, (2) 2022, and (3) 2025 for the apprenticeship standards of (a) engineering operative, (b) maintenance and operations engineering technician, (c) engineering technician, (d) hairdressing professional, (e) advanced and creative hairdressing professional, (f) creative, hair and fashion director, and (g) hair, skin and scalp specialist.
Apprenticeship starts for individual apprenticeship standards are published in the Apprenticeships accredited official statistics publication:
- 2020/21 to 2024/25 academic years: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d12ce978-389f-4d10-e79b-08de72e09202
Starts | ||||||
|
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician (ST0154) | 1,080 | 1,510 | 1,900 | 2,050 | 2,220 |
Engineering Operative (ST0537) | 1,090 | 1,460 | 1,500 | 1,800 | 1,850 | |
Engineering Technician (ST0457) | 5,040 | 5,660 | 6,030 | 5,490 | 4,120 | |
Retail and Commercial Enterprise | Advanced and Creative Hair Professional (ST0214) | 810 | 1,220 | 1,040 | 1,120 | 870 |
Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) | 5,650 | 5,770 | 4,630 | 5,230 | 4,050 | |
- 2016/17 to 2019/20 academic years: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/c5962d9f-97d1-425f-ba6c-08de72dfeafa
| Starts | ||||
2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | ||
Total | Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician | 30 | 910 | 1,020 | 1,090 |
Engineering Operative | no data | no data | 140 | 480 | |
Engineering Technician | 600 | 3,080 | 4,310 | 4,770 | |
Advanced and Creative Hair Professional | no data | no data | no data | 30 | |
Hair Professional | 640 | 6,220 | 6,700 | 5,330 | |
Please note that there were no apprenticeship starts on these standards prior to 2016/17. The Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) standard was previously named Hair Professional. No standards exist for (f) and (g).
The typical duration from apprenticeship start date to apprenticeship gateway and the maximum funding available for standards (a) to (e) are in the below table. This information is published at Apprenticeship search / Skills England.
Standard Name | Typical Duration (months) | Maximum funding 2022 | Maximum funding 2025 |
Advanced and creative hair professional | 12 | £5,000 | £5,000 |
Engineering operative | 12 | £6,000 | £10,000 |
Engineering technician | 42 | £26,000 | £26,000 |
Hairdressing professional | 24 | £7,000 | £11,000 |
Maintenance and operations engineering technician | 36 | £26,000 | £26,000 |
Please note that as the listed standards were not approved until after 2015, the maximum funding available for this year is not available.