Apprentices furloughed or made redundant during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: up to 30 October 2020

This data is management information provided to the Welsh Government by apprenticeship providers, combined with records from the Lifelong Learning Wales Record (LLWR). It has not undergone the same level of quality assurance as official statistics.

The latest data collection took place on Friday 30 October 2020, when the last day of the furlough scheme was expected to be 31 October. These statistics represent the employment status of apprentices in that week. For some apprentices it could reflect their status a few days before Friday 30 October due to a lag in providers gathering their data.

Since the collection date, the furlough scheme has been extended until March 2021. This release does not include any changes employers may have made as a result of that extension.

Main points

• 1,760 apprentices were fully furloughed on 30 October 2020. This is 1,220 less than the previous month.
• An additional 375 apprentices had partially returned from furlough and were not working full hours.
• The total number of apprentices who had been made redundant only rose slightly compared to the previous month, but more redundancies have now led to the termination of apprenticeships.
• 125 apprentices had their apprenticeship terminated due to redundancy.
• An additional 165 apprentices had been made redundant but remain in learning whilst their provider tries to source an alternative employer.
• 15% of apprentices have successfully completed their apprenticeship or gone into employment during the pandemic.
• 5% of apprentices have had their apprenticeship terminated for reasons other than redundancy.

In every category the number of apprentices furloughed has fallen, but the apprentices still most affected were:

• young
• male
• white or mixed race
• working in hair and beauty; hospitality; or construction
• not studying higher apprenticeships
• working for companies with less than 10 employees
• not working in the public sector
• living in less deprived neighbourhoods
• those who self-identified as having a 'primary disability and/or learning difficulty'
• living in Wrexham or Flintshire

Information on the overall number of people furloughed in Wales can be found in the report 'Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme statistics'.