Apprentices

Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people began apprenticeships under the apprenticeship programme for 16 to 18-year-olds in (a) Cheshire and (b) England in 2008. (272680)

1,400 16 to 18-year-olds started an apprenticeship in Cheshire in the 2007/08 academic year, the latest academic year for which we have full-year information. 107,000 16 to 18-year-olds started an apprenticeship in England in the 2007/08 academic year.

The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007/08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeship—up from 37 per cent. in 2004/05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many young people aged between 16 and 18 years old have (a) started and (b) completed an apprenticeship under the apprenticeship programme since its inception; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of young people who have completed apprenticeships under the scheme who are in full-time work. (272681)

Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts and completions for 16 to 18-year-olds from 2007/08 back to 2003/04, the earliest year for which we have consistent data.

*Table 1: Apprenticeship starts and completions for 16 to 18-year-olds*
	Level
	Apprenticeships	Advanced apprenticeships	All apprenticeships
Apprenticeship starts for 16 to 18 year-olds
2003/04	82,400	25,200	107,500
2004/05	86,900	25,700	112,600
2005/06	76,600	22,400	99,000
2006/07	80,300	24,800	105,100
2007/08	81,500	25,500	107,000

Apprenticeship framework completions for 16 to 18-year-olds
2003/04	20,400	8,600	29,100
2004/05	30,100	9,700	39,800
2005/06	44,600	13,900	58,500
2006/07	49,700	15,500	65,200
2007/08	46,800	16,200	63,000
Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Advanced apprenticeships starts include a small number of higher level apprenticeships from 2006/07 onwards. 3. Programme-led apprenticeships recorded in WBL ILR returns are included in the above figures. 4. Age is based on age at start of course. Source: WBL ILR

Information on the destination of apprentices upon completion of their apprenticeship is not readily available. This type of information will in future be collected using the Framework for Excellence learner destination survey with the first results for all Further Education Colleges and work based learning providers available later in 2009.

The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007/08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeship—up from 37 per cent. in 2004/05.

Volume 492: debated on Friday 8 May 2009