Quarterly Newsletter
Welcome to our quarterly newsletter. Our aim is to keep you up to date on events, resources, publications and news within the vocational training sector. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to colleagues who may be interested in our work.
Apprenticeship Update
During the current year a total of 814,800 people are participating in an apprenticeship, with 375,800 new starts and 276,200 achievements. There are normally about 500,000 new apprenticeship starts each year but numbers are lower this year due to changes in the funding system. Statistics show that starts at intermediate level and by apprentices aged 25 and over are particularly affected. However there are a higher proportion of starts from apprentices aged under 19 and more men (51%) have started apprenticeships than women (49%). The proportion of advanced and higher level apprenticeships has steadily increased over the years and for the first time advanced level apprenticeship starts outnumbered those at intermediate level.
Over half of the apprenticeship starts were in the sector areas of Business Administration and Law (30%) and Health, Public Services and Care (24%), followed by Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies (16%), and Retail and Commercial Enterprise (14%). The most popular framework is Business Administration with 29,000 starts and the most popular standard is Team Leader/Supervisor.
A recent business survey found that employers experienced a wide range of benefits as a result of training apprentices. Half the companies surveyed said that their apprentices made a valuable contribution to the business during their training period, with a further third reporting that apprentices added value within their first few weeks or even from the first day. Apprenticeships offer significant returns on investment and once qualified can add around £214 per week in productivity gains. Businesses find them a good way to recruit new staff or to up-skill existing staff and report they lead to tangible economic benefits.
Basic Skills
The UK ranks in the bottom four OECD countries for literacy and numeracy among young people. Other countries have seen an improvement in basic skills across successive generations as employers invest more in these skills. Almost every other developed country has been more successful in building a skilled workforce, leaving the UK economy at risk of falling behind. Singapore has the highest achieving students in international education rankings with the UK ranked 21 for reading and 27 for maths, behind countries such as Japan, Estonia, Finland and Vietnam. The training and development needs of young people must be addressed to ensure workers are equipped with more than the skills they learnt at school.
English and maths are essential skills that are critical in building a skilled and productive workforce. Recent policy has made it the responsibility of the government and employers to ensure that all apprentices have a basic level of English and maths. Attainment of at least basic level English and maths qualifications is an important part of the apprenticeship programme. For those undertaking a level 3 or higher apprenticeship, it is a requirement that they hold or achieve an approved level 2 qualification in both subjects before they can successfully complete the apprenticeship.
Vocational World Championships
WorldSkills is a global organisation that promotes vocational, technological and service oriented education and training. It aims to promote excellence in skills, uplift professional skills standards, and to raise the awareness and status of vocational education and skills training across the world. It advocates the importance of skills in achieving economic growth. It now has 82 member countries and regions covering more than two-thirds of the world’s population.
The vocational skills world championships are the largest and most prestigious vocational education and skills competition in the world. It is a biennial event with each competition hosted by a different country. Skilled young professionals showcase their abilities and compete with the best in the world for the chance of winning a prestigious medal in their chosen skill. The championships also provide the opportunity for leaders in industry, government, and education to exchange information and best practices regarding industry and professional skills education.
The 45th WorldSkills Competition was held in Russia. More than 1,350 young professionals attended, representing 63 member countries and regions. Each skill competition is assessed through a series of tests and projects which are completed over the four days of the competition. The tests are designed by industry experts and incorporate the knowledge, practical skills and attributes valued by employers, including successful completion of tasks set, problem-solving, time management and working under pressure. Competitors are assessed by experts against rigorous international standards that specify the knowledge, understanding, skills and capabilities that underpin vocational performance in that skill. There are 56 competition trades ranging from carpentry to mobile robotics, and from floristry to aircraft maintenance, within six main industry categories:
Construction and Building Technology
Creative Arts and Fashion
Information and Communication Technology
Manufacturing and Engineering Technology
Social and Personal Services
Transportation and Logistics
China topped the medal table for the second consecutive games with 16 gold, 14 silver and 5 bronze medals. Russia came second (14 golds, 4 silvers and 4 bronzes) and Korea third (7 golds, 6 silvers and 2 bronzes).
Visitors to the event had the opportunity to try 30 different skills-related activities linked to those taking place in the adjacent skill competition and demonstration areas. They were also able to get valuable careers advice. With over 200,000 visitors attending the event and thousands more virtual visitors, it was the largest competition to date and the largest international event held in Russia that year. 
The 46th WorldSkills Competition was held in Shanghai, China in September this year.
Apprenticeship Campaign
The new national apprenticeships campaign is now live and runs until the end of December. The campaign aims to make people aware of the changes to apprenticeships and the benefits to individuals and businesses. It targets young people, parents and employers and includes radio, television and digital advertising along with social media activities. A new website provides helpful advice and information as well as access to thousands of apprenticeship opportunities across the country. It is hoped to increase the number of vacancies created by employers and encourage young people to choose an apprenticeship as a high quality career route. Visit our website to find out more about the opportunities available and how apprenticeships can benefit business.
Our next newsletter will be published in December 2021. If you would like to receive a copy make sure you have added yourself to our mailing list. Visit our website to sign up or to check your preference settings.