CIPD renews calls for an Apprenticeship Guarantee in the UK
New data reinforces the need for more and better opportunities for young people to earn and learn at the same time
New data reinforces the need for more and better opportunities for young people to earn and learn at the same time
Opportunities for young people to learn while they earn have decreased dramatically over the last 20 years. In 2024 just 20% of 16-17 year olds were combining earning and learning, down from 42% in 1997. Our research highlights the impact this decline is having on young people’s perceived readiness for the workplace.
In our latest report, Changing face of the youth labour market, we revealed that just 28% of employers with recent experience of hiring someone aged 16-24 think young people are well-prepared for the world of work. In researching the report, we also found that:
We’ve been calling for government action on apprenticeships for several years, and the findings in this report add even more weight to our campaign.
“We need bolder action from the UK Government to make apprenticeships a viable alternative to university. The Government’s Youth Guarantee is a step in the right direction, but we want to see broader ambition to benefit all young people.”
One of the main reasons behind this poor perception of young people is the drop in opportunities for them to combine earning and learning. This is why we’re renewing our calls for the UK Government to introduce an Apprenticeship Guarantee for all 16-24 year olds. And according to our previous research, it’s a concept that’s widely backed by employers.
Through its Get Britain Working agenda, the Government has pledged the Youth Guarantee. While this is a positive step towards helping more young people get the training and support they need, we want to see the Government go even further.
We believe that an Apprenticeship Guarantee for all young people would lead to more opportunities to combine earning and learning. As well as opening up more vocational routes into employment, this would also allow them to develop crucial workplace skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Ultimately, we want to see young people supported to prepare for working life and gain valuable skills, while ensuring employers have access to a skilled talent pipeline.
Understand what we mean by skills in the workplace, UK skill levels and the government’s skills policy.
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