Government claims record number of apprenticeships
There are more apprentices than ever before, according to government figures. Nearly 870,000 people were on an apprenticeship in 2012/13 and more than 1.5 million apprenticeship starts since 2010. Half a million of these were in 2012/13.
Skills and enterprise minister Matthew Hancock said: "These figures show that a record 868,700 people were in apprenticeships last year, which is up 77 per cent on 2009/10. I am also pleased to see that there were 13,000 people in higher apprenticeships last year, which is double the previous year's figure."
"This is good news for the economy, and good news for those getting the skills they need to prosper. I want the new norm for people leaving school or college to either go to university or choose an apprenticeship. By focusing on the quality and rigour that people and employers want from apprenticeships, this will make the vision a reality."
Higher apprenticeships are now at the highest level ever while the participation in advanced level apprenticeships has increased by 19% this year to nearly 380,000.
