Apprenticeship take-up plummets in the West Midlands

The number of apprenticeships being taken up by people in the West Midlands have dropped sharply.

Figures contained in the West Midlands State of the Region 2026 report showed thousands fewer opportunities were taken up in 2024/45 compared with a decade earlier.

The issue was discussed by members of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Local Scrutiny Committee this week.

Another issue raised about apprenticeships were big contractors snapping up people who have completed apprenticeships, leaving smaller firms short.

The report said: “Over the last ten years, far fewer people have started apprenticeships across the WMCA area, mirroring national trends.

“In 2024/25 there were 7,840 fewer apprenticeship starts (-31%) than in 2013/14, falling from 25,190 to 17,350.

“That said, there has been a small increase this year compared with 2023/24, when there were 17,190 starts.

“Overall, apprenticeship numbers have been fairly steady since 2019/20.

“This has been a result of the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017, which, despite increasing overall apprenticeship funding, shifted away from recruiting new apprentices and instead used the levy to train existing staff; unintentionally reduced participation by small and medium‑sized enterprises; and increased administrative complexity and upfront costs for employers; ultimately leading to fewer apprenticeship starts overall and fewer opportunities for young people aged 19 and under.”

Sandwell councillor Keith Allcock said, during his engineering career, apprentices were snapped up by big contractors as soon as they qualified.

“We’re talking about falling apprenticeship rates, but it’s having the apprenticeships appropriate for smaller engineering companies more than the larger ones.

“What are we doing to look at that mismatch of need and demand?”

WMCA chief executive Ed Cox said: “It’s a brilliant insight. It would be great to get you to share a bit more about that experience with the skills team here because that is the essence of the apprenticeship brokerage service is that we’re trying to get Government to support.

“It’s exactly about firms like the ones you’re describing being able to speak to our skills team and apprenticeship offer and make sure the two things are aligned.”