Speaking at the Association of Learning Providers' annual conference last week, David Russell, director of apprenticeships for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), revealed the government has missed internal take-up targets.
He said apprenticeship starts among 16- to 18-year olds are below last year's volumes: "To the end of February, we are about seven per cent down on last year, and 10 per cent down compared with our planning profile."
This equates to 5,600 fewer 16- to 18-year-old apprentices than last year, and 8,200 fewer than the DCSF had projected, he said.
While emphasising that the figures were "indicative information", and "not departmental statistical releases", Russell said the DCSF would focus efforts on improving the situation.
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