The number of apprenticeships starts in England is "falling off a cliff" and only going to get worse, the Association of Employment and Learning Providers has said.
The comments come as new data published by the Department for Education shows that apprenticeship starts in February 2020 were down by more than 10 per cent compared with the same month the previous year. In that month, 22,400 learners started an apprenticeship, compared with 25,300 in 2019, a decrease of 11.5 per cent.
The data also showed that overall, apprenticeship starts between August 2019 and February 2020 were down by almost 8 per cent, compared with the same period in 2018-19 – from 256,300 to 236,800. However, starts in that period of 2019-20 were up by 1.8 per cent compared with 2017-18.
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The AELP has warned repeatedly about the threat facing the apprenticeship system – with many apprenticeships being furloughed or made redundant in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Chief executive Mark Dawe said that today's figures, from the last month before the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown hit the UK, were “bad enough” – and that the government should “be getting round the table with us to discuss how Covid-19 provider support measures should apply to all apprenticeships and not just to those offered by SMEs.”
He said: “New apprenticeship starts are falling off a cliff and the more time the government vacillates over the Covid-19 guidance, the worse it’s going to get. Furthermore, we must get full transparency in terms of publishing the starts data over the coming months because the statement the DfE made about this earlier this week was very alarming.”
Gillian Keegan, minister for apprenticeships and skills said: "The reforms introduced in 2017 mean apprenticeships are longer, more rigorous and quality assessed by independent organisations. This has resulted in a slight decline in the number of starts, but we will continue to prioritise quality over quantity.
"While the impact of the coronavirus is still becoming clear, we are supporting employers, apprentices and training providers during this challenging time so people can continue to access high-quality apprenticeship opportunities. Apprenticeships are a valuable route into good quality employment and will play a vital role in securing our economic recovery, post coronavirus.”
