Latest reflections
As is customary from July to late-September things have been very quiet on the DA front again but HAs have continued to thrive. In particular, the Construction sector has been busy with more than 50 new HA vacancies this week, while the rise of School Sports Coaches has accelerated with a further 17.
As for DAs, Digital Technology Solutions is now almost neck-and-neck with Accountancy at the top of the league table while Supply Chain Leaders and Digital Marketers have continued their gradual rise.
For punching above its weight, Buckinghamshire gets the nod for my featured image after 9 new vacancies were posted across the county. I took the photo at Hambleden on the way back from a speaking engagement in Amersham.
Background and methodology
Since the first ‘lockdown’ started on Monday 23rd March 2020, I’ve kept a record of new higher and degree apprenticeship vacancies posted in England and in doing so have built up an evolving occupational and regional analysis. I largely use data extracted every week from the government’s ‘Find an apprenticeship’ website, whilst also keeping an eye on other national vacancy sources including NHS Jobs, Not Going to Uni and Rate My Apprenticeship.
I only include vacancies at Levels 4 to 7 that ‘work-ready’ 18/19-year-olds seeking their first permanent role could reasonably apply for, whether at the point of leaving school/college or after a few months of temporary experience. If a year or more’s permanent experience is clearly required, I don’t include the vacancy in my figures.
I also collated similar data for a period of 70 weeks prior to the March 2020 lockdown. My weekly headline data therefore compares the pre-lockdown and post-lockdown figures and I now use the two 70-week periods either side of lockdown as a benchmark.
My data will never be fully reliable because not all vacancies are advertised nationally in a way that also gives an indication of actual numbers and locations. However, the analyses that I’ve built up paint an intriguing picture of what’s out there in a changing post-18 career landscape. The figures also suggests that supply is never likely to match demand and that there may be a significant mismatch between the occupations to which young people often aspire and the reality of what’s available.
Headline data
During the latest period, from 13th to 19th September 2021, I recorded:
- 19 new Degree Apprenticeship vacancies and
- 128 new Higher Apprenticeship vacancies
In the 78 weeks since the start of lockdown (23rd March 2020 to 19th September 2021) I’ve now recorded:
- 6,087 new Degree Apprenticeships (Levels 6/7) and 6,179 new Higher Apprenticeships (Levels 4/5), giving a total of 12,266
Using the 70 weeks either side of the initial COVID-19 lockdown (on 23/3/20) as a benchmark, my latest comparative figures are as follows:
- Weekly average in the 70 weeks before lockdown: 82 DAs + 71 HAs = 153 total
- Weekly average in the 70 weeks after lockdown: 84 DAs + 75 HAs = 159 total
- Weekly average in the 78 weeks since lockdown: 78 DAs + 79 HAs = 157 total
This shows that there’s been a gradual rise in HAs over the past three years, but a drop in DAs during summer 2021. However, this is likely to be just a seasonal blip, as DA numbers do tend to be low from July through to early-October. Thereafter, some of the bigger annual recruiters will probably start to reveal approximate numbers for their 2022 intakes.
Updated regional analysis
The 12,266 higher and degree apprenticeships advertised in England since the start of lockdown have been distributed as follows:
- Greater London (2,722)
- Yorkshire (1,165)
- West Midlands (766)
- Greater Manchester (638)
- Bristol & Gloucestershire (511)
- Hampshire (491)
- Berkshire (401)
- Hertfordshire (360)
- Surrey (319)
- Nottinghamshire (273)
- Tyne & Wear (270)
- Lancashire (260)
- Cheshire (251)
- Cambridgeshire (245)
- Essex (239)
- Warwickshire (220)
- Sussex (217)
- Merseyside (202)
- Suffolk (195)
- Leicestershire (171)
- Devon (169)
- Cumbria (159)
- Kent (159)
- Somerset & South Bristol (153)
- Oxfordshire (150)
- Staffordshire (149)
- Wiltshire (148)
- County Durham (146)
- Northamptonshire (145)
- Buckinghamshire (140)
- Dorset (126)
- Derbyshire (123)
- Worcestershire (117)
- Norfolk (109)
- Bedfordshire (104)
- Lincolnshire (84)
- Shropshire (58)
- Isle of Wight (32)
- Cornwall (23)
- Herefordshire (21)
- Northumberland (12)
- Rutland (1)
- Not specified (22)
The following list shows how those stats add up regionally. In brackets I’ve included the total population of each region using the latest ONS data rounded to the nearest 1,000, which gives a sense of proportion to the apprenticeship figures. For example, in population terms the North East is by far the smallest region, so the differences in apprenticeship numbers are not as disproportionate as they might appear. As a way of quantifying this a little further, I’ve added an extra stat in bold which indexes the apprenticeship figures against the total population of each region. In effect, the index equals the number of DAs and HAs post-lockdown per 10,000 of total population.
- 2,722 London (8,962,000: 3.04)
- 1,909 South East (9,180,000: 2.08)
- 1,510 North West (7,341,000: 2.06)
- 1,331 West Midlands (5,934,000: 2.24)
- 1,252 East of England (6,236,000: 2.01)
- 1,165 Yorkshire & Humber (5,503,000: 2.12)
- 1,130 South West (5,625,000: 2.01)
- 794 East Midlands (4,836,000: 1.64)
- 431 North East (2,670,000: 1.61)
- 22 Not specified
Updated occupational analysis
Each week I update my occupational analysis by breaking down the new vacancies into what I loosely term ‘occupational areas’, which in some cases differ from the official apprenticeship standards terminology. Since the start of lockdown in March 2020, the complete lists of occupational areas represented in each category are given below. In my view, this provides a fascinating insight into what the emerging occupations are in a changing landscape.
Degree Apprenticeships (Levels 6/7):
In total there have been 6,087 new vacancies spread across 87 occupational areas and minimum starting salaries have ranged from £6,708 to £30,629pa. The occupational breakdown is as follows:
682 Accountancy/Tax/Audit Professionals
681 Digital Technology Solutions (General) *see below for details
495 Police Constables
455 Nurses (418 Adult, 24 Mental Health, 5 Learning Disability, 5 Older People, 3 Children)
381 Software Engineers
319 Chartered Managers (General)
270 Civil Engineers
237 Project Managers
200 Chartered Quantity Surveyors
174 Data Scientists/Analysts
169 Chartered Building/Property/Valuation Surveyors
132 Product Design & Development Engineers
125 Electrical/Electronic Engineers
114 Food Technology/Production /Manufacturing Professionals
109 Supply Chain Leaders
102 Digital Marketing Professionals
93 Aerospace Engineers
82 Cyber Security Professionals
82 Financial Services Professionals
75 Retail Leaders
74 Sales Professionals
73 Network Engineers
65 Manufacturing Engineers
63 Laboratory Scientists
55 Professional Economists
53 Construction Managers
47 Building Services Design Engineers
40 Control Engineers
37 Nuclear Engineers
36 Environmental Practitioners
36 Operating Department Practitioners
36 User Experience (UX) Design Professionals
33 Railway/Rail Systems Engineers
31 Solicitors
29 Manufacturing & Production Managers (non-food)
25 Automotive Engineers
24 Town Planners
20 Clinical Trials Specialists
19 Creative Digital Design Professionals
19 Diagnostic Radiographers
19 Materials Science Technologists
17 Packaging Professionals
16 Environmental Health Officers
15 Human Resources / People Professionals
12 Chemical Engineers
12 Weapons Munitions & Explosives Engineers
10 Broadcast/Media Systems Engineers
10 Healthcare Science Practitioners: Physiology (7 Cardiovascular, 3 Respiratory/Sleep)
10 Internal Audit Professionals
10 Recruitment Professionals
9 Healthcare Science Practitioners: Neurosensory (8 Neurophysiology, 1 Audiology)
9 Transport Planners
8 Gas Transmission Engineers
8 Occupational Therapists
8 Podiatrists
8 Propulsion Engineers
7 Architectural Assistants
7 Healthcare Science Practitioners: Biomedical Science
7 Geospatial Mapping/Surveying Professionals
7 Public Health Practitioners
6 Actuarial Professionals
6 Healthcare Science Practitioners: Clinical Engineering (3 Medical, 1 Radiation, 1 Renal, 1 Rehabilitation)
6 Healthcare Science Practitioners: Medical Physics (4 Nuclear Medicine, 2 Radiation Physics)
6 Marketing Managers
6 Non-Destructive Testing Engineers
6 Social Workers
5 Electro-Mechanical/Mechatronics Engineers
5 Operations Analysts
4 Agricultural/Horticultural Advisers
4 Healthcare Science Practitioners: Digital Healthcare Science
3 Healthcare Science Practitioners: Bioinformatics
3 Compliance & Risk Specialists
2 Assistant Teachers
2 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Specialists
2 Buying & Procurement Professionals
2 Chartered Legal Executives
2 Digital Transformation Engineers
2 Education Technology Specialists
2 Journalists
2 Midwives
2 Physiotherapists
2 Radiotherapists
2 Tax Technologists
1 Charity Manager
1 Human Performance Engineer
1 Marine Engineer
1 Visual Merchandiser
*Digital Technology Solutions (General) has encompassed or led to the following range of specialisms (list updated this week):
Software Engineer, Software Developer, Software Tester, Network Engineer, Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Data Architect, Network Architect, Cyber Security Specialist, IT Consultant, Solutions Consultant, Software Implementation Consultant, Software Consultant, Project Manager, Business Intelligence Specialist, Business Systems Engineer/Developer, Automation Developer, Technology Architect, Technology Manager, Innovation Technologist, Innovation Design Analyst, Agile Analyst, Application Support Analyst, Business Analyst, Global Mobility Analyst, Content Analyst, User Experience Researcher, Junior Product Manager, Infrastructure Specialist, DevOps Engineer, Solutions Engineer, Support Engineer, Cloud Engineer, Sales Engineer, Scientific Computing Specialist, Platform Manager, Amazon Web Services Specialist, Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition Specialist, Fixed Telecoms Specialist, IT Service Desk Analyst, Support Desk Analyst, WordPress Developer, Technology Operations & Service Delivery Specialist, Functional Consultant, Technical Consultant, Solution Engineering & Development Specialist, Client Delivery Specialist, Operations Resilience & Change Specialist. Some list!
Higher Apprenticeships (Levels 4/5):
In total there have been 6,179 new vacancies spread across 110 occupational areas and minimum starting salaries have ranged from £5,590 to £35,000pa. The occupational breakdown is as follows:
587 Software Developers
579 Sales Executives
508 Data Analysts
482 Trainee Accountants / Accounting Technicians
475 Project Management Associates
241 Manufacturing Engineering Technicians
200 Construction Site Supervisors
154 Network Engineers
138 Tax Technicians
127 Policy Officers
125 Nursing Associates
122 Public Relations & Communications Assistants
122 Software Testers
120 Civil/Site Engineering Technicians
120 Quantity Surveying Technicians
113 Business Analysts
111 Cyber Security Technologists
111 Investment Operations Specialists
109 Commercial Procurement & Supply Practitioners
102 Technician Scientists
90 Children/Young People/Families Practitioners
88 Building Services Engineering Technicians
81 Construction Design & Build Technicians
80 Insurance Professionals
80 School Sports Coaches
73 Regulatory Compliance Officers
67 Marketing Executives
64 Buying & Merchandising Specialists
58 Retail Managers
56 Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technicians
54 Food Technology/Engineering/Production Technicians
50 Associate Ambulance Practitioners
40 Junior Management Consultants
39 Human Resources Consultants/Partners
32 DevOps Engineers
26 Learning, Skills & Development Practitioners
25 Healthcare Assistant Practitioners
24 Paraplanners / Financial Advisers
23 Adult Social Care Leaders
22 Nuclear Technicians
22 Quality Practitioners
21 Actuarial Technicians
21 Automotive Engineering/Propulsion Technicians
19 Hospitality Managers
18 Automation & Control Engineers
18 Brewers
17 Internal Audit Practitioners
17 Mineral Products Technicians
16 Estate Agency Negotiators
16 Media Production Co-ordinators
14 Fibre Cable Engineers
14 Housing & Property Managers
14 Journalists
14 Police Community Support Officers
13 Improvement Specialists
13 Ordnance Munitions & Explosives Technicians
12 Broadcast & Media Systems Technicians
12 Revenue & Welfare Benefits Officers
11 Operations Managers
10 Dairy Technologists
10 Recruitment Consultants/Resourcers
9 Hearing Aid Dispensers
9 Naval Architects / Marine Engineering Technicians
9 Railway Engineering Technicians
8 Hygiene Specialists
7 Logistics/Supply Chain Specialists
6 Early Years Lead Practitioners
6 Employability Practitioners
5 Architectural Technicians
5 Healthcare Science Associates: Cardiorespiratory/Sleep Physiology
5 Digital Community Managers
4 Conveyancing Technicians
4 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Practitioners
4 Counter Fraud Investigators
4 Healthcare Science Associates: Audiology
4 Unified Communications Trouble Shooters
3 Post-Production Technical Operators (Film/TV)
3 School Business Professionals
2 Healthcare Science Associates: Medical Engineering
2 Healthcare Science Associates: Medical Physics
2 Healthcare Science Associates: MRI Radiography
2 Healthcare Science Associates: Phlebotomy
2 Historic Site Advisers
2 Information Managers
2 Paralegals
2 Port Marine Operations Officers
2 Railway Operations Managers
2 Rehabilitation Officers (Visual Impairment)
2 Tax Technology Technicians
2 VFX Artists
1 Acoustics Technician
1 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Technician
1 Chemical Process Technician
1 Community Energy Specialist
1 Dental Technician
1 Early Intervention Practitioner
1 Facilities Manager
1 Fire Safety Inspector
1 Fitness Club Manager
1 Healthcare Science Associate: Biochemistry
1 Healthcare Science Associate: Speech Therapy
1 Intelligence Analyst
1 Lighting Designer
1 Metrology Technician
1 Passenger Transport Manager
1 Sports Development Officer
1 Tennis Coach
1 Textiles Technician
1 Wedding Accessories Designer
1 Wedding Venue Co-ordinator
Going forward
I will continue publishing these regular updates in the coming weeks, all being well.
© Alan Bullock, 19/9/2021
Many thanks Alan for such comprehensive information as usual. Much appreciated and will circulate to my contacts.
Ros
Thanks Ros, that means a lot.