The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission says apprenticeship starts for under-25s rose by 4% from 2010-14 , compared with 17% for over-25s.
And most training courses taken were not a step up from the apprentice’s previous level of study, it added. No 10 said it was committed to getting more young people into apprenticeships.
The commission welcomed the government’s efforts to improve the number and quality of apprenticeships and said that for too long the vocational route to qualifications had been seen as an option for “other people’s children”.
But the report said: “The overall growth in apprenticeship starts has been driven by large increases in participation by over-25s.
“While youth apprenticeships have roughly flatlined since the early years of the decade, starts by over 25s are over 150,000 higher in 2014/15 compared to 2009/10.
“In comparison to this increase there were over 5,000 fewer apprenticeship starts by under-19s in 2014/15 compared to 2010/11. “And there were around 1,000 fewer 19-24 apprenticeship starts in 2014/15 compared to 2011/12.”
If this was projected forward, then adult apprenticeship starts would continue to increase, while youth starts would stagnate or decline, it added.
The commission also highlighted how the vast majority of apprentices were studying at levels below their age. Read more
