Youth apprenticeship provision remains thin ahead of Milburn recommendations

Foundation Apprenticeships recorded 160 starts in England between August 2025 and April 2026, with under-19 apprenticeship starts falling despite growth in apprenticeships overall.

The programme launched in August 2025 as an entry-level paid job with structured Level 2 training. Up to 30,000 young people are expected to start a Foundation Apprenticeship over the course of this Parliament.

Apprenticeship starts among 16 to 24-year-olds in England have fallen by 35% since the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced. Level 2 starts for young people have fallen by 68% and Level 3 starts by around 20%, according to the interim report from the Milburn Review into youth unemployment and inactivity.

Apprenticeships have shifted towards older workers and higher-level qualifications. Only 4% of people on apprenticeships were previously not in education, employment or training, according to the Milburn Review.

The CIPD is calling for an Apprenticeship Guarantee for 16 and 17-year-olds, which it says would create an additional 20,000 apprenticeship places by 2029/30.

Its proposal includes a £5,200 wage grant for employers, full funding of apprenticeship training, local support to create and fill vacancies and a statutory duty on local authorities to work with employers to ensure sufficient opportunities are available.

The CIPD says 90% of employers support an Apprenticeship Guarantee and six in ten say it would encourage them to take on more apprentices.

Overall apprenticeship starts in England increased by 8.7% to 308,770 between August 2025 and April 2026. Starts among under-19s fell by 5.4% to 63,530, while higher apprenticeship starts increased by 13.6% to 126,660.

Foundation Apprenticeships and changes to the Growth and Skills Levy represent progress, but their ability to reverse the decline in opportunities for young people will depend on their scale and sustainability, according to the Milburn Review.

Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, said: ‘An Apprenticeship Guarantee would help widen access to high-quality vocational training, support social mobility and help employers build stronger talent pipelines.

‘With public finances under pressure, such a guarantee provides a practical and cost-effective way to create more opportunities for young people and support employers to invest in future talent.’

Youth apprenticeships: key figures

• 160 Foundation Apprenticeship starts between August 2025 and April 2026
• 308,770 apprenticeship starts overall, up 8.7%
• 63,530 starts among under-19s, down 5.4%
• 126,660 higher apprenticeship starts, up 13.6%
• 35% fall in apprenticeship starts among 16 to 24-year-olds since the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced
• 68% fall in Level 2 starts among young people
• 4% of people starting apprenticeships were previously not in education, employment or training

Sources: Department for Education apprenticeship statistics, August 2025 to April 2026, Milburn Review interim report.