Expert Explains Why Apprenticeships Are Growing in Popularity as New Census Data Revealed

• New Census data reveals apprenticeships were the highest qualification for 5.3% of people (2.6 million) across England and Wales
• Expert and founder of online apprenticeship job board explains why apprenticeships have become so popular in the last 10 years

New Census data shared [10th January 2023] by the Office of National Statistics has revealed apprenticeships were the highest qualification for 5.3% of people (2.6 million) across England and Wales.

In England, 5.3% (2.4 million) of people reported an apprenticeship as their highest level of qualification, the data revealed this was slightly lower than in Wales (5.6%, 143,000).

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, co-founder of RateMyApprenticeship, Oliver Sidwell, comments,

“Over the last decade, perceptions of apprenticeships have been transformed. The antiquated belief that apprenticeships were either for tradespeople (think plumbing, electrician…) or people going into manufacturing have been blown out of the water by forward-thinking companies revamping their early careers programmes and the feedback from apprentices backs this up too.

“Research from over 6,000 reviews on RateMyApprenticeship shows apprentices rated their experiences an astonishing 8.4/10, and a mammoth 97% of apprentices recommended their scheme to a friend. 

“Employers are upskilling people in regional offices through more structured frameworks and training programmes and school leavers who can’t afford or don’t want to go to university are being paid to earn and learn. It’s been a remarkable turnaround in perceptions since the last Census in 2011, apprenticeships are here and they’re very much the future too!”