On the back of the government releasing annual data showing a drop in apprenticeship starts, Petra Wilton, director of strategy for the Chartered Management Institute, said:

“Today’s apprenticeship figures show the government has got a lot of work to do to get employers on-board with the apprenticeship programme. According to CMI research, nearly half of managers have doubts about the government hitting its target of 3m apprentices by 2020 – but are still overwhelmingly in support of apprenticeships for all ages. They also back the Apprenticeship Levy to transform how employers invest in skills.

“While the number of apprenticeship enrolments have predictably dropped as employers get to grips with changes to the system, CMI research shows that, nationally speaking, nearly half of all managers expect to see a rise in new starts over the next 12 months. One in three managers expect to have more people starting apprenticeship programmes over the coming year, compared to the period since April 2017.

“Clarity will be essential as the government continues to work with employers, particularly SMEs, to dial-up the apprenticeship programme. We welcomed the Chancellor’s recently announced £80m fund to help small businesses access the Apprenticeship Levy, and look forward to seeing details on how this will work in practice. We also want access to the digital apprenticeships service to be extended to small businesses to drive up apprenticeship numbers.

“Managers and employers need certainty to aid the planning of their apprenticeship programmes. We urge the government to remain firm in its commitment to the Levy in its current format and existing funding bands. If the government is to remain in track to reach its target of 3m apprentices by 2020, it must help employers adjust to the new system without any further disruptions.”   

CMI research found that 65% of employers say graduates lack the interpersonal skills necessary to manage people. The leadership skills gap means that more than 2 million more managers are needed by 2024.

A report from Universities UK earlier this year found that Management Degree Apprenticeships were the fastest growing degree level apprenticeships, alongside digital and engineering.

New Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeships were introduced in November 2015, the Chartered Management Institute led a group of 40 employers to create management apprenticeships, including the flagship Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship, and the Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship for senior managers and executives.

February 2018 – survey of 1,640 managers

• Nearly half of managers doubt the government will hit its target of 3m apprentices by 2020. 
• Number of apprenticeship starts may have dropped but there is clear need and support for the Apprenticeship Levy among managers:
• Nearly two thirds of employers (63%) agree that the Apprenticeship Levy is needed to increase employer investment skills
• 31% expect to have more people starting new apprenticeship programmes over the coming year, compared to the period since April 2017
• Nearly half (48%) of managers across the country expect to see a rise in the number of new starts in the next 12 months
• One in four organisations have put employees on to management and leadership apprenticeships since the Levy came into effect in April 2017
• 22% say there will be more new management and leadership apprentices

ESFA today (19 Apr) published their statistics covering latest monthly apprenticeship starts, apprenticeship service registrations and commitments, and apprenticeship levy information.

April 2018 main text

This publication provides headline experimental statistics on the use of the apprenticeship service. These include apprenticeship service account registrations (ASAs) and numbers of commitments (reported to February 2018), where an apprentice who is expected to go on to start has been recorded in the system.

Additionally, monthly apprenticeship starts information for the first six months of the 2017 to 2018 academic year are also presented (reported to January 2018).

For more further education (FE) statistics, please refer to the FE and skills statistics publication, and the FE data library.

We may adjust the content and timing of these statistics, depending on user feedback and data reporting.