The number of under 19s starting apprenticeships fell by more than a quarter during the final seven years of Tory rule, new analysis from the Trades Union Congress shows
The number of under 19s starting apprenticeships fell by more than a quarter during the final seven years of Tory rule, new analysis shows.
The TUC said start rates fell by 26% for under 19s and by 15% for 19–24-year-olds between 2017 and 2024.
At the same time, achievement rates fell by 44% for under 19s and by 31% for 19-24-year-olds.
Separate TUC analysis also shows that of 16–18-year-olds who left school or college in 2022/23 to go onto work, more education or training, 14.8% did not complete or continue it – up from 12.9% in 2017-18.
For young people with special educational needs, the drop-out rate was 25.9%. And the rate was even higher for youngsters on free school meals at 26.8%.
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The TUC said the data is part of a wider trend of failed opportunities for young people that characterised 14 years of Tory rule. The union collective said apprenticeship reforms are “desperately needed”. It added that Labour has started to ”turn the page” on the failed Tory era with its youth guarantee initiative
Keir Starmer has made it his mission to ensure kids have better opportunities in life. At Labour’s party conference in September, the PM said he was ditching a target for half of kids to get to university.
He said the government would instead set a new target for 50% of young people to go on to either university, further education, or a “gold standard apprenticeship” by the age of 25.
Elsewhere, the Government announced a new growth and skills levy to replace the existing apprenticeship levy and include new foundation apprenticeships
The new levy will allow funding for shorter apprenticeships, giving learners and employers greater flexibility over their training than under the existing system.
The TUC called on ministers to use next week’s Budget to widen the scope of the new levy, which currently applies to just 2% of employers.
It said this would incentivise more employers to invest in training and recruit new apprentices, benefiting both the existing workforce and helping to tackle youth unemployment.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Our young people were badly let down by the last Tory government, which failed to invest in their futures.
“We now have almost one million young people stuck out of work, education and training – this is bad for the country and the economy.”
He said Labour has started to “turn this around”, but added: “But further reforms to apprenticeships are desperately needed.
“We know that real experience of decent, paid work is the best way to turn the tide on rising rates of worklessness – and that over time this investment will more than pay for itself.”