Blog, Future Voices Group
Future Voices Group Ambassadors reflect on ethnicity and apprenticeships research
Jun 03, 25
Last month, Youth Futures Foundation published the first report in a package of work aiming to better understand the disparities in apprenticeship participation and completion between minoritised ethnic young people and their white peers.
In the new research, conducted by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), interviewees reported racism and discrimination leading to feelings of alienation among minority ethnic apprentices. They also reported a lack of awareness and understanding about apprenticeships, particularly among parents and family networks. Financial barriers were widely raised, alongside regional and sectoral variations.
We sat down with current and alumni ambassadors of our Future Voices Group to discuss the findings, hear about their experiences, and find out what action they’d like to see to reduce the gaps in apprenticeship participation and outcomes for those from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
Fathiat is 19 from Liverpool and recently received an offer to take up a Level 4 Tax Analysis apprenticeship. Meerah, 22 from London completed a Level 4 Policy Officer apprenticeship in September 2023 before progressing into roles within the organisation where she completed her placement. Zoya, 19 from the North West has applied to a range of apprenticeships from Level 3 through to Degree-level, without succeeding in finding a place.
Thanks for joining us today. Could you tell us a bit about your experiences of navigating the apprenticeship system? What support did you receive?
Meerah: “I expected my sixth form college to have a good understanding of how to do targeted searching for apprenticeships, but that just wasn’t my experience. There was also a misconception from school that apprenticeships were purely for technical vocations. I was looking for a policy placement during covid and found a big reduction in opportunities, and felt I had to do a lot of independent research which was challenging.”
Fathiat: “I felt my sixth form were more focused on university application processes and timelines. By the time I was offered any training on CV and cover letter writing, the apprenticeships application process was already well underway. I had to seek mentors and help on my own, and found most support in organisations specifically aiming to help ethnic minority young people.”
Zoya: “I would definitely agree with this, and I actually felt my sixth form seemed to look down on apprenticeships. As a Pakistani young person, I also found I had no support from family when navigating the impact on my mental health of persistent rejection and unemployment.”
“There is a disparity between access and opportunity. Apprenticeships are everywhere, but this isn't the reality for minority ethnic young people because they are not equipped with the cultural capital, right tools and support to succeed in the application process.”
Fathiat, Future Voices Group Ambassador
In contrast to findings from our research with NatCen, all three young people spoke about how their families were open and supportive of apprenticeships.
Participants in our recent research talked about experiences of discrimination when seeking or undertaking apprenticeships. What do you think about this?
Zoya: “There is a lack of transparency in the application process which could be discriminatory or enable unconscious bias to persist. You fill out lots of assessments and give a lot of your time but they can reject you without any feedback. Numeracy and literacy assessments could also be discriminatory to minority ethnic young people who may not have the support systems of their peers.”
Meerah: “When you’re from a certain background and entering the corporate environment, you may not have an understanding of office language and mannerisms, and that can be a barrier. It can influence how you get along with people who might be managing you, or who you could otherwise learn from.”
What other barriers are young people facing when considering an apprenticeship?
Zoya: “I think apprentices should be paid at least the minimum wage. I was discouraged from applying for lower level apprenticeships due to poor wages and how challenging it would be to balance that with my responsibilities at home.”
Meerah: “I really agree. There is an assumption that apprentices will be living at home and can afford a lower wage, which is both discriminatory and undervalues the contribution they are making.”
Fatiat: “I also think that wage is a major issue in UK locations with fewer opportunities. Apprentices are having to consider moving away from parents to bigger cities, but without the support of student loans or time for a part-time job that could come with the university route.”
The group shared their experiences of this gap widening even after completing their courses, with apprentices routinely offered lower starting salaries than graduate equivalents. This is something young people want to see explored through transparent data, and research on the impact on career trajectory.
"Apprenticeships are often advertised as a social mobility option, but it doesn’t feel socially mobile when you are supposed to be on an equal playing field at the end of your course but salary wise you are lower than your peers.”
Meerah, Future Voices Group Ambassador
What needs to be done to reach and support minority ethnic young people into apprenticeships?
Fathiat: “Employers should be doing more to reach out and clarify the process. They should provide templates and support candidates to be more prepared.”
Zoya: “Yes, and they need to give more detailed and constructive feedback to enable applicants to learn.”
Find out more about our work on this issue: https://youthfuturesfoundation.org/what-we-do/flagship-programmes/evidence-and-research-on-youth-employment/ethnic-disparities-apprenticeship-participation
