Apprenticeships in London: rapid improvement but more employers needed

London has seen strong growth in the amount of people starting Apprenticeships, with numbers doubling in the past year alone – from 20,350 in 2009/10 to 40,410 in 2010/11. This growth in the number of Apprenticeships in the capital has resulted in London no longer having the lowest level of take-up of the English regions.

At the same time, from April to June 2011, there were 133,0002 16 to 24 year olds ‘not in education employment or training’ (NEET) in London. More new Apprenticeship jobs in London will be needed in order to help prevent increasing youth unemployment, and young Londoners will need to better understand the value of apprenticeships. That is the conclusion of a report published today by the London Skills and Employment Observatory.

The report, Apprenticeships in London: where do we go from here?, acknowledges the strides made by businesses in London in meeting the Mayor’s Apprenticeship challenge, and remains optimistic that London will reach the revised target of 100,000 Apprenticeship starts by 2012. However, efforts to raise numbers of Apprenticeships could be seriously hampered by weaker than expected growth figures and future uncertainty from employers.

The report makes a number of recommendations to raise demand from employers, including simplifying the bureaucracy and linking Apprenticeships to London’s new ‘hot-spots’ (the Silicon Roundabout, Canary Wharf, etc.) and growth sectors. The report underlines the importance of ongoing strategic work between key partners in London (such as the National Apprenticeship Service, London Councils, the GLA and employer bodies) so that the expansion of apprenticeships meets the needs of London’s economy.

For further information, and to download a copy of the report, visit the London Skills and Employment Observatory website.