Apprenticeship learning programmes started: November 2023 to January 2024 (provisional)

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 figures for November 2023 to January 2024 (Q2 of the 2023/24 academic year). Provisional figures are produced quarterly and will be finalised when Q4 data are published in February/March each year. They are calculated using a freeze of the Lifelong Learning Wales Record (LLWR).

There were 4,515 apprenticeship learning programmes started in 2023/24 Q2, compared with 4,565 starts in 2022/23 Q2.

In 2023/24 Q2, there were decreases in Foundation Apprenticeship (level 2) and Higher Apprenticeship (level 4+) starts, but Level 3 Apprenticeship starts increased, compared with 2022/23 Q2.

Foundation Apprenticeship programmes observed a 2% decrease on the previous year. 1,665 learning programmes were started compared with 1,690 in 2022/23 Q2.

Apprenticeship (level 3) starts saw a 2% increase with 2,055 programmes starting in 2023/24 Q2 compared with 2,010 in 2022/23 Q2.

Higher Apprenticeships (level 4+) saw a decrease of 7% in starts compared with 2022/23 Q2, with 810 programmes starting compared with 870 the previous year.

In 2023/24 Q2, Healthcare and Public Services apprenticeships was the most popular broad sector, with a 13% decrease in the number of starts in this sector compared with 2022/23 Q2. There were 1,945 programmes started in 2023/24 Q2 in this sector compared with 2,245 in the same quarter of the previous year. 43% of all apprenticeship learning programmes started were in Healthcare and Public Services, compared with 49% in 2022/23 Q2.

In 2023/24 Q2, around 59% of all apprenticeship learning programmes started were by female learners, compared with 61% 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 2023/24 Q2, there were 4,185 of these apprenticeship starts. In total there have been 55,095 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.

Statistician: Aaron Thomas
Email: post16ed.stats@gov.wales

Media: 0300 025 8099