Government vows to ‘unlock opportunities for young people across the country’
Young people across the country are to benefit from a clearer path into apprenticeships, as the Prime Minister vows to ‘unlock opportunities for young people across the country’ ahead of National Apprenticeship Week.
The Government is set to pilot a university clearance-style system where ‘near miss’ applicants who don’t secure their top choice apprenticeship will be re-directed to similar opportunities in their area.
Delivered in partnership with employers and Mayoral Strategic Authorities who know their skills needs best, this pilot will test how we can re-direct young people to other suitable employers and apprenticeships on their doorstep if they were unsuccessful in their initial applications.
An online platform will bring together information on apprenticeships in one place for young people, many of whom are keen to explore the apprenticeship route but don’t know where to start.
The platform will include new data showing actual earnings and how apprentices have progressed after completing their training, helping young people compare options and understand which apprenticeships lead to lasting careers.
This will mean employers – particularly small and medium-sized businesses – gain access to a stronger pipeline of motivated young talent, helping to close skills gaps.
Backed by the Growth and Skills Levy, these measures will help deliver 50,000 more apprenticeships for young people, forming a key step toward the Government’s ambition for two thirds of young people to reach higher-level learning or take up a high-quality apprenticeship.
The Government has already made progress in getting more people into apprenticeships with 353,500 apprenticeship starts in the first year of this Government – 13,920 more than the year before (2023/24).
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“Apprenticeships give young people real experience, real prospects, and a real route into good careers. But for too long young people have been held back from the opportunities they need to get on in life because of outdated assumptions about how to make it into a successful career.
“We’re unlocking opportunities for young people across the country by making it easier and faster to get the skills that matter, so more young people can build a secure life for themselves.”
This sits alongside plans announced last week to fast‑track apprenticeships, which will dramatically speed up how new courses are created, to keep pace with the industries powering the UK’s growth – from clean energy and advanced manufacturing to digital tech and modern construction.
