Number of students starting apprenticeships in Bristol falls by a fifth

New data has revealed a long-term decline in the number of students taking up apprenticeship courses in Bristol.

Analysis by the House of Commons Library has revealed that apprenticeship starts in Bristol have fallen by a fifth (22 per cent) in the last decade.

A total of 760 fewer students took up a place on an apprenticeship course in the last academic year, compared to levels in 2012/13.   

Commenting on the figures, Karin Smyth, Bristol South MP, said: “This generation of young people has been let down by the Government’s failure to invest in training opportunities.

“The findings of this report are not a surprise. In Bristol South, I’ve seen the damaging impact of the Apprenticeship Levy, which has deprived students from disadvantaged backgrounds of the chance to learn vital skills."

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Under the levy, large employers with a pay bill of over £3m pay 0.5 per cent of this annual cost into a fund to support apprenticeship courses.

But a report by the Learning and Work Institute revealed that businesses have frequently used levy funds to give existing staff higher level training - rather than investing in foundation training for young employees.

According to the report, this has disproportionately impacted young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In Bristol South, where students have historically been among the least likely in the country to go to university, the number of level 2 apprenticeship starts has halved since the levy’s introduction.

In the same period, starts on higher apprenticeship courses in Bristol South have quadrupled.

Since becoming MP for Bristol South in 2015, Karin Smyth has run an annual jobs and apprenticeships fair to support young people find apprenticeship courses locally.

This year’s fair will take place from 11am-2pm on Thursday (February 29) at the South Bristol Skills Academy.