Apprenticeship learning programmes started: May to July 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 figures for May 2023 to July 2023 (Q4 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 5,715 apprenticeship learning programmes started in 2022/23 Q4, compared with 3,840 starts in 2021/22 Q4. 
• In 2022/23 Q4, there were increases in Foundation Apprenticeship (level 2), level 3 Apprenticeship, and Higher Apprenticeship (level 4+) starts, compared with 2021/22 Q4. Foundation Apprenticeship (level 2) programmes observed a 41% increase on the previous year. 2,250 learning programmes were started compared with 1,595 in 2021/22 Q4.
• Apprenticeship (level 3) starts saw a 50% increase with 2,245 programmes starting in 2022/23 Q4 compared with 1,500 in 2021/22 Q4.
• Higher Apprenticeships (Level 4+) saw an increase of 63% in starts compared with 2021/22 Q4, with 1,220 programmes starting compared with 750 the previous year.
• In 2022/23 Q4, Healthcare and Public Services apprenticeships were the most popular broad sector, with a 36% increase compared with 2021/22 Q4. There were 2,940 programmes started in 2022/23 Q4 in this sector compared with 2,160 in the same quarter of the previous year. 51% of all apprenticeship learning programmes started were in Healthcare and Public Services, compared with 56% in 2021/22 Q4. 
• In 2022/23 Q4, around 64% of all apprenticeship learning programmes started were by female learners, compared with 68% in Q4 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 Q4, there were 5,135 of these apprenticeship starts. In total there have been 43,280 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.