The Vocational Pathway: still the road less travelled?
Speakers for Schools
Empowering young people from state schools & colleges to reach their potential.
Skills provision is increasingly mentioned in new reports and conferences. Still, it is often not accessible to young people or small and medium-scale employers.
Data released this month from the Department for Education on 2022/23 apprenticeships indicates several trends and changes in the apprenticeship landscape:
Levelling Upwards?
Level 2 apprenticeships experienced a substantial decrease, dropping by 17 per cent from 91,310 to 76,210. This decline is consistent with the trend observed since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017.
Higher-level apprenticeships at levels four and above grew by 7 per cent, going from 105,840 to 112,890. This suggests an increased interest in more advanced apprenticeship programs.
David vs. Goliath
Apprenticeship starts among levy-paying businesses increased slightly, with a 2% growth from 222,940 to 227,850. The apprenticeship levy appears to be encouraging larger businesses to invest in apprenticeships.
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In contrast, non-levy paying businesses experienced a significant decline of 13 per cent, going from 124,980 to 108,660. This suggests that smaller businesses (SMEs) find the apprenticeship system challenging.
What’s next?
The ongoing difficulty SMEs face in engaging with the apprenticeship system again highlights the need for policy changes to make the system more accessible for smaller enterprises. The decline in starts among 16 – 25-year-olds also shows that despite the efforts of the government to ensure parity of esteem between vocational and academic routes, there remains significant work to be done to ensure that young people are informed of vocational pathways and the progression opportunities they offer.
At Speakers for Schools , we have consistently advocated for providing young people with early exposure to career and advancement opportunities. Students at fee-paying independent schools benefit from a wide range of resources and insights into the professional world. The same level of support should be extended to students in state schools.
Aspiration and ambition are universal values, and excellence and opportunity should be equally accessible to all. To empower young individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those interested in skill-based career paths, it is essential to provide ongoing engagement with employers and robust support to educators. This approach will instil the confidence needed for these students to pursue their dreams.
Trust Head of Careers
1yI don’t think that’s it’s just down to 16-25 years not getting information about apprenticeships. I’m finding that the two systems still don’t align - employers want an apprentice when they have a vacancy to fill, this doesn’t necessarily tie in with the education system (i.e school/college leaving dates). This means that young people are much less likely to be applying for those positions. I know of a couple of forward thinking organisations that are running apprenticeship recruitment campaigns parallel to the UCAS application deadlines; in my opinion, these vacancies offer a genuine alternative to university and the companies stand a much better chance of recruiting a young, enthusiastic, dynamic young person to their team!