Apprenticeships provide a great start for young workers, and a huge financial boost for employers, with the government funding 95% of staff training costs.
To build a full understanding of the impact of apprenticeships in the UK, we gathered all the latest data and statistics from the UK government and other reputable sources across the web…
Then we analysed all of the figures and complied our findings right here.
Key UK apprenticeship statistics
- In 2023 there were a total of 752,100 apprentices employed and 337,140 new apprenticeship starts
- Since 2010 over 5 million people have started apprenticeships in the UK
- Almost half of apprentices are over 25 and 84% are white British
- 60% of apprentices continue to work for the same employer after completing their training
- The average apprentice salary in the UK is £19,706
- The average apprentice generates revenue of £33,759 per year for their employer
- Apprentices contribute £550m per year to the British economy
- For every £1 spent on apprenticeships, the UK economy gains £21
- The government spent £2.5 billion on apprenticeships in 2022-2023
- 135,000 apprentices were furloughed throughout the pandemic
Number of apprenticeships in the UK
How many apprentices are currently employed in the UK? How many start each year? And how many vacancies are there.
Number of apprentices currently employed
Official government figures show that in 2023 there were a total of 752,150 apprentices employed across the UK, which was a 1.6% increase from the 740,350 apprentices employed throughout 2022.
Number of apprenticeship starts
337,140 people started an apprenticeship in 2023, which is a 3.5% decrease on the previous year, where 349,190 workers started apprenticeships.
Apprentice starts and participants 2018 – 2023
This chart and table show the numbers of people starting (starts) and currently employed (participants) in apprenticeships in the UK since 2018.
| Year | Total employed Apprentices (participants) | Apprenticeship starts |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 752,105 | 337,140 |
| 2022 | 740,350 | 349,190 |
| 2021 | 713,000 | 321,400 |
| 2020 | 718,950 | 322,500 |
| 2019 | 742,000 | 393,400 |
| 2018 | 814,800 | 375,800 |
Apprenticeship starts since 2010
“From May 2010 to the current day, over 5 million people have started apprenticeship programs in the UK”
Number of apprenticeship vacancies
In 2023 there were a total 63,050 apprenticeship vacancies in the UK according to the UK government, this represents a decrease of just over a quarter on the 84,620 available in 2022.
Who are apprentices in the UK?
Who are the people undertaking apprenticeships in the UK according to government data?
What age are apprentices?
Almost half of people who started apprenticeships in 2023 were over the age of 25 and 23% were under 19
| Age group | Percentage of apprenticeship starters |
|---|---|
| Over 25 | 48% |
| 19 - 24 | 29% |
| Below 19 | 23% |
What gender are apprentices?
The gender split of apprentices is almost 50/50 with 50.6% males starting an apprenticeship last year, and 49.4% female
Ethnicity of apprentices
| Ethnicity | Percentage of apprenticeship starters 2023 |
|---|---|
| White | 84.30% |
| Asian | 7.10% |
| Black | 4% |
| Mixed | 3.50% |
| Other | 1% |
Where are apprentices located?
The South East of England hosted the largest amount of apprenticeship staters last year with 51,630 in total, and the smallest amount of apprenticeship starts happened in the North East with 18,454
| Region | Number of starters |
|---|---|
| South East | 51,630 |
| North West | 48,690 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 38,344 |
| West Midlands | 37,972 |
| South West | 37,970 |
| London | 36,119 |
| East of England | 33,586 |
| East Midlands | 30,470 |
| North East | 18,454 |
| Outside of England and unknown | 3,901 |
What jobs do apprentices do?
According to data from the Institute for Apprenticeships, these are the 10 most started apprenticeship vocations for 2023.
| Apprenticeship profession | Number of starts |
|---|---|
| Early Years Educator | 14,849 |
| Team Leader or Supervisor | 14,013 |
| Business Administrator | 12,900 |
| Lead Adult Care Worker | 10,182 |
| Operations or Departmental Manager | 9,770 |
| Accountancy or Taxation Professional | 9,547 |
| Adult Care Worker | 7,460 |
| Installation and Maintenance Electrician | 7,418 |
| Early Years Practitioner | 6,778 |
| Senior Leader | 6,105 |
What industries do apprentices work in?
Further data from the Institute for Apprenticeships shows how many apprentices were hired in each UK sector last year.
| Industry | Number of apprentice starts |
|---|---|
| Business and Administration | 62,712 |
| Construction and the Built Environment | 33,610 |
| Health and Science | 31,422 |
| Care Services | 30,768 |
| Education and Early Years | 30,282 |
| Engineering and Manufacturing | 30,195 |
| Legal, Finance and Accounting | 24,02 |
| Digital | 22,488 |
| Sales, Marketing and Procurement | 21,060 |
| Protective Services | 15,222 |
| Catering and Hospitality | 11,662 |
| Transport and Logistics | 8,541 |
| Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care | 6,629 |
| Hair and Beauty | 6,440 |
| Creative and Design | 1,489 |
Qualification level of apprentices
UK apprenticeship programs are divided into the following 3 levels
- Intermediate: GCSE
- Advanced: A level
- Higher: Degree & above
Here is the split of apprenticeship levels started by Brits over the past 3 years.
| Year | Intermediate starts | Advanced starts | Higher Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 22.60% | 43.90% | 33.50% |
| 2022 | 26.20% | 43.30% | 30.50% |
| 2021 | 26.20% | 43.10% | 30.70% |
What percentage of apprentices stay in the job?
A recent government study found that 85% of apprentices remain in full-time employment after completing their apprenticeship, and 6 in 10 continue working with the same employer.
In the digital sector, training provider Multiverse found that 93% of tech apprentices stay with the same employer after completing their apprenticeship.
A survey by Reed found that one in three apprentices receive a promotion within a year of completing their apprenticeship.
What is the average apprentice salary?
According to Glassdoor the average salary for an apprentice role in the UK is £19,706 per year.
Training provider Multiverse report that the average salary for a tech apprenticeship is £21,500 per year.
Employer impacts and benefits of hiring an apprentice
What are the costs and benefits associated with hiring apprentices in the UK?
How much does it cost to hire an apprentice?
A study from the St Martins Group found that the average cost of hiring an apprentice is £8,060 per year.
This does not include salary, but rather employer costs that are directly related to hiring the apprentice, and training costs that aren’t covered by the government
See the full breakdown below:
| Activity | Empoyer cost for average apprentice |
|---|---|
| Resource backfill to cover apprentice role during training | £1,700 |
| Recruitment fees | £1,400 |
| Additional training costs | £1,400 |
| Events, travel and expenses | £2,100 |
| Membership of professional bodies | £1,200 |
| Admin costs | £260 |
| Total | £8,060 |
How much revenue do apprentices generate for employers?
The St Martins group also found that the average apprentice generates revenue of £33,759 per year.
This means that once training subsidies have been added and costs have been deducted (wages, recruitment costs etc.) the total average gain that an employer receives from hiring an apprentice is £2,496 per year.
Average amount of money saved by hiring an apprentice
The average amount of money saved in training costs by employers who hire an apprentice is £1,040 per year.
Do employers value apprentices?
A survey of employers by the St Martins group found that:
- 92% of companies that have taken on apprentices believe this leads to a more motivated and satisfied workforce
- 90% have seen a significant increase in employee retention.
A survey by Vodafone Business found that 51% of businesses are cutting plans for apprentices, due to the rising cost of living impacting their budget.
Apprenticeship impact on government and economy
How do apprentices contribute to the wider economy and government spending?
How much do apprentices contribute to the economy?
A study carried out by Multiverse found that apprentices contribute £550m per year to the British economy through a combination of revenue-generation and cost-saving for businesses.
A report from Lloyds Banking Group found that for every £1 spent on apprenticeships, the UK economy gains £21.
How much does the government spend on apprenticeships?
FE Week reported that treasury figures show the government spent £2.5 billion on apprenticeships in the 2022-2023 financial year.
However, they also reported that they raised around £3.6 billion via the apprenticeship levy, meaning that they held back approximately £415 million.
The government spent just over half a billion pounds on degree-level apprenticeships last year, which was one fifth of it’s entire apprenticeship budget.
What is the apprenticeship levy?
The apprenticeship levy is a business tax which was designed to help the UK fund more apprenticeship schemes.
The levy states that all companies with a payroll of £3 million or more must contribute 0.5% of their total payroll bill.
How much of an apprenticeship is government funded?
The government funds 95% of an apprentice’s training costs, and in some cases also provide an additional £1,000 to support the apprentice.
Barriers to hiring apprentices
According to a St Martin’s group employer survey, these are the top 3 barriers that stop companies hiring apprentices.
- Time required to manage apprentices (33% of respondents)
- Identifying the right apprenticeship scheme (23%)
- Administration time (22%)
Impacts of Covid-19 on apprenticeships
How did the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions affect apprentices and their employers?
- Approximately 135,000 apprentices were furloughed throughout the pandemic
- In England 3,170 apprentices were made redundant from August 2020 to July 2021
History of apprenticeships
Apprenticeships were first introduced to Britain in 1563 by the Statute of Artificers, with the intention of training young people in Medieval crafts such as blacksmith work.
The “modern apprenticeship” that we know today was introduced by the UK government in 1993.
Sources
We gathered the above statistics from official UK government data and a range of reputable online sources of apprenticeship information.
Feel free to check them out below.
- UK Government – Apprenticeships and traineeships 2022/2023: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships
- UK Government – Apprenticeships and traineeships 2020/2021: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships/2020-21
- Commons Library – A short history of apprenticeships in England: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/a-short-history-of-apprenticeships-in-england-from-medieval-craft-guilds-to-the-twenty-first-century/
- Institute for Apprenticeships – Apprenticeship study: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/about/newshub/news-events/south-east-and-north-west-biggest-apprentice-employing-regions-in-the-country/
- Simply Academy – What percentage of apprentices stay in employment after their apprenticeship: https://www.simplyacademy.com/employment-after-apprenticeship
- Glassdoor – Apprentice salaries: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/apprentice-salary-SRCH_KO0,10.htm
- Multiverse – How much do apprentices get paid: https://www.multiverse.io/en-GB/blog/how-much-do-apprentices-get-paid
- The St Martins Group – THE REAL COSTS AND BENEFITS OF APPRENTICESHIPS: https://stmartinsgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/The-St-Martins-Group_The-Real-Costs-and-Benefits-of-Apprenticeships.pdf
- Pareto – The Real Cost of Taking On An Apprentice: https://www.pareto.co.uk/blog-details/the-real-cost-of-taking-on-an-apprentice/
- Startups – Apprentices contribute over half a BILLION pounds to UK small businesses: https://startups.co.uk/news/apprentice-cost-benefits-for-businesses/
- FE Week – Apprenticeship levy turns into Treasury ‘cash cow’: https://feweek.co.uk/apprenticeship-levy-cash-cow/
- Lloyds Banking Group – How can apprenticeships benefit UK businesses: https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/insights/how-can-apprenticeships-benefit-uk-businesses-.html
- FE Week – Degree-level apprenticeship spending hit half a billion last year: https://feweek.co.uk/degree-level-apprenticeship-spending-hit-half-a-billion-last-year/
- Lifetime training – What is the apprenticeship levy: https://lifetimetraining.co.uk/insights/apprenticeship-levy/