Apprenticeship learning programmes started: November 2022 to January 2023

These quarterly statistics, published on StatsWales with complementary dashboards present information on the number of apprenticeship learning programmes started. It includes data by region of domicile, programme type, age group, sector, gender, ethnicity, disability and academic year.

This update includes new provisional figures for November 2022 to January 2023 (Q2 of the 2022/23 academic year). Provisional figures are produced on a quarterly basis and are finalised along with the publication of Q4 data in February/March each year.  They are calculated using a freeze of the Lifelong Learning Wales Record (LLWR).

Main points from the latest data

There were 4,545 apprenticeship learning programmes started in 2022/23 Q2, compared with 4,225 starts in 2021/22 Q2.

In 2022/23 Q2, there was a decrease in Level 2, and there were increases in Level 3 and Level 4+ apprenticeship starts, compared with 2021/22 Q2. Foundation Apprenticeship (Level 2) programmes observed a 6% decrease on the previous year. 1,680 learning programmes were started compared with 1,795 in 2021/22 Q2. This decrease was partly caused by a review of Construction courses.

Apprenticeship (Level 3) starts saw a 25% increase with 1,995 programmes starting in 2022/23 Q2 compared with 1,600 in 2021/22 Q2. This increase was also partly caused by the review of Construction courses.

Higher Apprenticeships (Level 4+) saw an increase of 5% in starts compared with 2021/22 Q2, with 870 programmes starting compared with 825 the previous year.

In 2022/23 Q2, Healthcare and Public Services apprenticeships were the most popular broad sector, with a 19% increase compared with 2021/22 Q2. There were 2,230 programmes started in 2022/23 Q2 in this sector compared with 1,870 in the same quarter of the previous year. 49% of all apprenticeship learning programmes started were in Healthcare and Public Services, compared with 44% in 2021/22 Q2.

In 2022/23 Q2, around 61% of all apprenticeship learning programmes started were by female learners, compared with 59% in Q2 in the previous year.

The Welsh Government has a target to create 125,000 all-age apprenticeships. This is assessed using a more rigorous measure, which takes account of early dropouts (within first 8 weeks) and transfers between apprenticeship records. In 2022/23 Q2, there were 4,205 of these apprenticeship starts. In total there have been 33,365 of this type of apprenticeship start since the start of the target in May 2021. This measure now also includes degree apprenticeships. Further information on this is provided in the 'current target' tab of the dashboard.