Data recently released by the National Apprenticeship service (NAS) reveals that the number of apprenticeships advertised stands at a record high of fifteen thousand, while the number of applications for those apprenticeships has hit the hundred-thousand mark, making seven applicants for every apprenticeship vacancy - again a record.
This may be in part due to the recent launch of a new NAS initiative - AGE 16 to 24 - offering government-funded grants to support small employers. The “Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 to 24 year olds” enables up
to forty thousand employers with fewer than 250 employees to take on a new apprentice aged between 16 and 24. Grants offered can go up to £1,500.
Those fifteen thousand vacancies include more than fourteen hundred different job roles, from traditional subjects like Nursing, Horticulture and IT, to newer roles such as Life Science and Fisheries Management.
Higher Apprenticeship vacancies are also on offer, providing degree-level qualifications and delivering much more advanced skills to benefit both trainers and trainees.
London Economics calculate that the benefit of achieving a Level 2 apprenticeship would be extra earnings of between £48,000 and £74,000 over the course of a person's working lifetime, while a Level 3 apprenticeship would result in extra earnings of anywhere between £77,000 and £113,000.
Jaine Bolton, Chief Operating Officer, National Apprenticeship Service, said: “With a massive pool of young talent out there looking for apprenticeships, now really is the time for employers to offer more opportunities.
"Not only are they the gold standard in vocational education that lead to good careers with real progression, but the new Higher Apprenticeships also enable employers, colleges and universities to deliver the advanced skills most critical for growth.
“Apprenticeships deliver a significant return on investment of £18 for every £1 of public funding as well as providing life changing career opportunities for young people and I would urge more small businesses to get involved and benefit from AGE 16 to 24.”
