We’re looking to work with two new Strategic Employer Engagement Partners to increase the supply of apprenticeships for young people.
What’s the challenge? The evidence:
Evidence compiled in our Youth Employment Toolkit suggests that for every 10 young people who take part in an apprenticeship, one person will get a job who wouldn’t have done so otherwise.
In recent research, 89 per cent of employers said they backed the recommendation of an Apprenticeship Guarantee for young people up to the age of 24. This would ensure a place on a Level 2 or Level 3 apprenticeship (equivalent to five GCSE’s or two A-levels) for every young person who wants one and meets the minimum entry requirements.
But, there is a mismatch between aspirations and the reality of apprenticeship opportunities available to young people. Analysis shows that since 2014/15, entry-level apprenticeship starts in England have dropped by 72 per cent.
What can we do about it?
To help increase the supply of apprenticeships for young people, we are looking to work with two membership or network organisations as Employer Engagement Partners. One partnership will focus on engaging large employers, the other on SMEs.
We’re looking for partners who, with our support and funding (up to £150,000 per partner), can:
- Work with employers to understand the challenges in creating successful apprenticeship opportunities for young people.
- Design and deliver assets, programmes, or campaigns to help employers increase the number of Level 2/3 apprenticeship opportunities in 2025/2026.
Barry Fletcher, CEO of Youth Futures Foundation: “International evidence shows that apprenticeships are an important and impactful way to support young people to access jobs and careers, yet the number of young people participating has fallen significantly in recent years, especially those most marginalised.
“From the employer side, we want to understand why many are struggling to create apprenticeship opportunities to match interest from young people, and what will help in enabling business to prioritise apprenticeships for their future workforce.”
How to get involved:
Visit the partnership page and read our application guidance to find out more. We are also offering support with applications through webinars: find out more and register or contact our Employer Engagement team to arrange a one-to-one session.
Applications should be submitted via our online grant portal by 5pm on Friday 4 October 2024.
