A member of the government’s apprenticeship delivery board says opportunities at level 2 and 3 are key.
Lower level apprenticeships have the potential to greatly boost productivity, according to the head of apprenticeships at Barclay’s.
The number of lower level apprenticeships has fallen markedly in recent years. In the four years to 2016/17, the number of intermediate apprenticeship starts (level 2) fell by 11 per cent, while advanced apprenticeship starts (level 3) fell by six per cent.
Meanwhile, the number of higher apprenticeship starts (level 4-7) increased by 269 per cent in the same period. The overall number of apprenticeship starts has fallen by four per cent – from 510,200 in 2012-13 to 491,300 in 2016-17.