Over 1.4 million UK workers applied for apprenticeships during the last year, a new report from the National Apprenticeship Service claims. Most of the apprenticeships were applied for online using new application services.
The data suggests a 32 percent increase in the number of UK individuals seeking an apprenticeship, compared to data from 2011 and 2012. The new level of activity has forced many recruiting and training firms to turn away applicants.
In fact, supply is so limited for many apprenticeships that just one applicant gains an apprenticeship out of every eleven applicants, according to the service. Popular jobs and training areas such as event promotion have even lower success rates.
People applying for live event promotion faced the lowest success rate, with just one applicant chosen for every 35 applicants. Other popular fields, such as plumbing, are also struggling to keep up with demand due to a 33:1 applicant to training ratio.
The surge in apprenticeship applications caught many in the field by surprise, as a growing number of people have opted not to take on-the-job training in trades and increase attend university.
Poor employment figures for university graduates are thought of as a leading cause for the increase in apprenticeship applications, as well as a job market that offers a great deal of opportunities to people with experience and specific qualifications.
Analysts believe that employers will increase the amount of apprenticeships to keep up with demand for skilled labour jobs. Matthew Hancock, the skills minister, claims that young people should either ‘go into university or into an apprenticeship.’
The Skills Minister encouraged UK businesses to take on more apprentices and train the next generation of skilled workers. He urged more businesses to ‘consider hiring an apprentice’ to benefit their business and the UK economy as a whole.
