Overview
This briefing contains analysis of the latest engineering and technology-related apprenticeships data. It is based on the Department for Education's (DfE) full year (2023/24) data for England, released on 28 November 2024. The briefing covers overall apprenticeship starts, and looks at breakdowns by age, level, gender, and ethnicity. It also looks at trends over recent years of apprenticeships data in England.
Who this is for
- Employers
- Policymakers
- Professional Engineering Institutions
- Researchers
Key findings
- There were 339,580 apprenticeships starts in 2023/24, which is up slightly (0.7%) on 2022/23 (337,140)
- 29% (97,120) of these starts were in engineering and technology-related subjects
- Engineering and technology-related apprenticeship starts have increased by 1.6% since 2022/23, higher than the 0.7% increase across all-sector subject areas
- Level 2 apprenticeship starts in engineering and technology-related apprenticeships have decreased by 8.7% between 2022/23 and 2023/24. Since 2017/18 starts have decreased by 52%
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Female starts account for 17% of engineering and technology-related apprenticeship starts, compared to 52% across all subject areas. This has increased 13% since 2022/23 and 90% since 2017/18
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The overall proportion of apprenticeship starts by people from a UK minority ethnic background for all subjects is 16%, up from 11% in 2017/18
For government to achieve its mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower we need more young people coming through the education and skills system into the workforce. And for government to achieve and break down barriers to opportunity, we need these young people to come from diverse backgrounds and be more representative of society. Only then will we solve the skills shortages across the country. We therefore need more apprenticeship opportunities to open up and look to government to work with industry and young people to achieve this.
— Beatrice Barleon, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, EngineeringUK
