Construction and manufacturing skills gap narrows amid rise in apprenticeships

The government has published its apprenticeships data in England for the first three quarters of the 2024/25 academic year, showing that apprenticeship starts were up by 2% to 284,190 in comparison to 278,950 in the previous year. Learner participation also increased by 2.2% for the same period to 703,110, with apprenticeship achievements increasing by 8% to 128,290.

Richard Lewis, Partner and National Head of Further Education, Skills and Academies at RSM UK, comments: “The latest apprenticeships statistics indicates the key role of further education providers in addressing skills gaps. In particular, apprenticeship starts in construction, planning and the built environment, saw one of the highest apprenticeship starts across all sector subject areas, which aligns with the government’s £600m investment to train the next generation of skilled construction workers. Similar uplifts were seen in engineering and manufacturing technologies, supporting the government’s focus on advanced manufacturing as a growth-driving industry.

“Apprenticeships are central to ensuring the country’s long-term economic resilience and growth, so the uptick in participation and achievements demonstrates that more young people are engaging with these programmes, bolstered by increases to youth employment levels. It’s therefore essential that the government continues to align apprenticeship policy with the UK’s industrial strategy and implements incentives for businesses to offer apprenticeship programmes and long-term employment prospects for young people.”

authors:richard-lewis