Apprenticeship Levy statistics recently released from the Government show that although there has been a decrease of 13% in those who have been reported as being on an apprenticeship, there has been a 15.4% increase in Apprenticeship starts in the first quarter of the 2018/19 academic year compared to figures reported at this time in 2017/18.
The information also reports that there have now been 268,500 levy-supported starts recorded since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017. 76,300 of these were reported in the first quarter of 2018/19, representing 57.8 per cent of total apprenticeship starts.
Abi Rae, Head of Business Engagement and Partnerships at Futures for Business, discusses the importance of apprenticeships for both the individual and the employer, “Apprenticeships are fantastic and offer so much to those that do them. They have changed dramatically and positively over the last 2 years and we have been able to develop apprenticeship programmes with our clients and teams that add value, expertise and experience to employers and apprentices.
We have welcomed working closely with employers to design apprenticeships with their needs and outcomes in mind then producing bespoke training for each apprentice to make sure they contribute to those outcomes.
It has been a challenging period of change, but employers are now excited about the positive impact recruiting and developing staff through apprenticeships can have on their business. We see the importance of giving people at all levels the chance to start their career with an apprenticeship and the Business Admin Level 2 introduction route is still essential to some of our clients.”
