A record 234,000
people started apprenticeships in the 2008/09 academic year,
according to provisional data on vocational qualifications
released today by the ONS. Statistics also showed 126,900 people
completed apprenticeships during the same period, representing the
highest number of starts and completions ever in an academic year.
Today’s statistical first release covers the number of people
aged 16 and over who aren’t in school or university in England and
who have taken a course funded by the Learning and Skills Council.
Provisional figures show that in the academic year 2008/09:
· 1,446,600 people took skills for life courses in literacy,
numeracy or English;
· 1,268,500 people took courses leading to a full level 2
qualification (equivalent to five good GCSEs);
· 794,000 people took courses leading to a full level 3
qualification (equivalent to 2 A-levels);
Overall, provisional data shows that there were 4,754,700
learners taking Further Education courses funded by the Learning
and Skills Council in the 2008/09 academic year.
Skills Minister Kevin Brennan, said:
“It’s great news that the number of people starting and
completing an apprenticeship is at the highest ever, and that over
a million people have taken a course to improve their literacy and
numeracy skills this year. Behind these figures are real people
with brighter futures, greater self-confidence and better career
prospects ahead.
“We need to keep on helping people access the training and skills
they need to get work and to get on at work, and to be able to
seize the opportunities that growth will bring. We are expanding
apprenticeships, making it easier for employers to offer them, so
that more young people can benefit. We also need to make sure
adults can reskill and upskill so that they are in the best
possible position to get the jobs of the future. Our National
Skills Strategy, to be published later this autumn, will take this
work forward.”
Other provisional findings from the SFR include:
· 817,400 adults started a qualification through the Government’s
Train to Gain service. This provisional data is expected to rise
by 2% when final data is returned; and
· 471,900 adults achieved a qualification through Train to Gain.
When final data is returned, this figure is expected to rise by
approximately 5%.
Train to Gain is the Government’s flagship service to help
employers improve the skills of their employees and the
productivity of their business. Train to Gain funds all skills for
life and first full level 2 qualifications (equivalent to 5 good
GCSEs).
Notes to Editors
1. Post 16 Education and Skills: Learner Participation, Outcomes
and Level of Highest Qualification held can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics.
2. The statistics include provisional data for 2008/09 under the
new demand led funding (DLF) system, showing Learning and Skills
Council (LSC) funded participation including Apprenticeship and
Train to Gain starts and achievements. It also includes success
rates for post-16 education (excluding schools and Higher
Education) in England, based on 2007/08 data. Success rates data
for Apprenticeships will be updated in the December edition of
this Statistical First Release (SFR), and success rates for
Further Education colleges and providers will be updated in the
March 2010 edition of this SFR.
3. Statistics for 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08 reflect the FE and
Skills system before the introduction of DLF. Statistics for
2008/09 show the FE and Skills system following the introduction
of DLF and are therefore not directly comparable with those for
earlier years. More information can be found on Demand Led Funding
on the Data Service website here: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfroct09/
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Jane Parsons
Phone: 020 7215 5947
Jane.Parsons@bis.gsi.gov.uk