Apprenticeships Insights
Timely, data-led analysis of what England’s apprenticeship statistics are showing – who is starting, what is growing, who completes, and where apprenticeships sit in the wider picture of post-16 participation.
Every article works from the same validated data layer as the Apprenticeships Explorer, states its reference period, and separates what the data shows from what it cannot show. Figures for 2025/26 are provisional and cover August 2025 to April 2026 only.
Latest
Age2026-08-16
Apprenticeship starts are rising – but not among under-19sApprenticeship starts in England are up 8.7% on the same period last year. Starts by people aged 25 and over are up 17.5%. Starts by under-19s have fallen 5.4%. The headline and the age data are telling different stories.Age2026-08-16
Are apprenticeships still a school-leaver route?The under-19 share of apprenticeship starts has fallen from 28.4% to 20.6% since 2017/18. Much of the change is visible in the changing level mix: Level 2 apprenticeships have contracted sharply while higher apprenticeships have expanded.Participation2026-08-16
One million young people are NEET – where do apprenticeships fit?1.012 million 16–24-year-olds across the UK were estimated to be NEET in early 2026. Apprenticeships are regularly offered as part of the answer. Here is what the participation data actually supports – and what it does not.Levels2026-08-16
Higher apprenticeships are growing fast – what is actually driving it?Between 2017/18 and 2024/25, higher apprenticeship starts grew 192.3%. In the current provisional August–April period they account for 41.0% of all starts. Most of them are not degrees, and most are not taken by young people.Occupations2026-08-16
Which apprenticeship routes are growing fastest?Comparing complete years, digital apprenticeship starts have grown 112.8% and sales, marketing and procurement has fallen 30.4%. Growth, though, is not the same thing as demand.Achievement2026-08-16
Achievement rates are improving – but retention is doing most of the workThe apprenticeship achievement rate rose +4.9 pts in a year. Split into its two components, most of it is retention. The pass rate moved +0.4 pts and was already above 97%.Explore the data
Every figure in these articles can be filtered by age, level, occupation, provider and place in the Explorer.
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Plain-English guides to how the system works and what the statistics measure.
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