Chaos to Coordination - Towards a 'one-stop' apprenticeship platform
Today Edge is launching Apprenticeships Work, a new national campaign to encourage more small businesses to take on apprentices. Small businesses (SMEs) are the backbone of our economy and our communities, but they often have trouble engaging with the apprenticeship system. They represent 99.8% of UK businesses and 60% of all employment in the UK, but only employ 37% of apprentices.
We want to boost the number of apprenticeship opportunities for young people in SMEs. This is crucial for achieving the Government’s goal of 10,000 more apprenticeship opportunities a year, especially in SME-dominated growth sectors like construction and services. We’ve been joined by some fantastic partners, including Amazing Apprenticeships, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, Specsavers, the Co-Op, City & Guilds, AELP, the 5% Club and the Association of Apprentices.
Apprenticeships Work is founded on the results of two new Edge reports, both also launched today. They follow on from our Flex without Compromise report last year. Chaos to Coordination sets out our vision for a one stop shop to make apprenticeships easier to find and to simplify the application process. Agents of Change explores the role of brokerage services in helping SMEs navigate the apprenticeship system. These reports show that over 40% of UCAS applicants in 2023 expressed an interest in apprenticeships – yet for every young person who secures an apprenticeship, three try and are unsuccessful. We need to grow these opportunities.
Alice Gardner, Chief Executive, Edge FoundationExpanding opportunities for young people through high-quality routes like apprenticeships has been at the heart of Edge’s mission for over twenty years. Young people are eager for these opportunities, and small businesses want to invest in fresh talent – but the system too often gets in the way. Apprenticeships Work is about changing that: creating the conditions where everyone benefits – more opportunities for young people, stronger growth for small businesses, and a real boost for our economy.
SMEs make up 99% of UK businesses. While many want to take on apprentices, they are held back by a fragmented system and lack of tailored advice. Polling for Edge Foundation by REC found that nearly 70% of SMEs said tailored brokerage support would encourage them to recruit a young apprentice. Apprenticeships Work calls for a simpler, fairer system that works for both SMEs and young people – connecting ambition with opportunity, and ensuring apprenticeships deliver skills for growth across the UK.