Latest reflections
In the end this week’s numbers fell slightly short of taking my cumulative data over the 25,000 mark, but it was a solid and interesting week nonetheless. Amongst the more notable events and activities:
- Associate Project Managers overtook Accounting at the higher end of my HA listings, with over 30 new vacancies noted during the week.
- Hospitality Management showed that it’s making something of a comeback after initially being adversely affected by the pandemic.
- Civil Engineering maintained its consistently strong record.
- And there was a bulk posting of Chartered Manager DA vacancies in the automotive industry by BCA Remarketing Solutions in association with Arden University. Whilst based in Bedfordshire, opportunities are potentially available across a range of locations from Tyneside to Somerset.
Health professions including healthcare science also continued to show up well. That said, it’s sometimes a marginal decision as to whether I include individual NHS vacancies on the basis that a lot of them prefer some evidence of relevant experience. But in such cases I continue to err on the side of students who perhaps have a science or Health & Social Care background or some challenging life experience and who may be well-positioned to make a competitive application, especially in their first year after leaving school or college.
From a regional perspective Devon and Lancashire were two of the most prominent counties this week and, with a couple of the Hospitality vacancies located in Brixham, I’ve selected a photo I took there in 2018 as my featured image. I’m not expecting a lot of readers this time around, given that it’s half-term week with a couple of bank holidays thrown in too, but maybe the holiday theme will attract a little bit of interest or at least some curiosity!
Background
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, especially NHS Jobs, Not Going to Uni, Rate My Apprenticeship and Investment 20/20.
I collated similar data for a period of 70 weeks prior to the March 2020 lockdown and my weekly headline data compares the pre-lockdown and post-lockdown figures, using the two 70-week periods either side of lockdown as a benchmark.
My target audience is Level 3 school and college leavers and those who influence and advise them. Therefore, 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 more than a year’s permanent experience is clearly required, I don’t normally include the vacancy in my figures.
I would emphasise the term ‘work-ready’ because academic qualifications alone will never be enough to compete successfully for a higher or degree apprenticeship. Whilst a UCAS points score of around 112 is often needed for DAs (sometimes more, sometimes less), it’s otherwise much more about the skills, qualities and insights you can bring. STEM subjects will also put potential applicants at a significant advantage in terms of opening up a wider range of options.
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 suggest that supply is never likely to match demand and that there may be something of a mismatch between the occupations to which young people often aspire and the reality of what’s available.
One further and slightly confusing factor to take into account is that it’s quite normal for some 18/19-year-old school/college leavers to apply for lower level apprenticeships too, especially at Level 3. In fact I sometimes see Level 3 apprenticeships that ask for A Level or equivalent qualifications and Level 4 to 7 apprenticeships that don’t. It’s also true that a significant proportion of opportunities will be snapped up by older applicants. It’s a competitive market place, so work-readiness really matters.
Headline data
During the latest period from 22nd to 29th May 2022 I recorded:
- 91 new Degree Apprenticeship vacancies and
- 123 new Higher Apprenticeship vacancies
In the 114 weeks since the start of the first COVID-19 lockdown (23rd March 2020 to 29th May 2022) I’ve now recorded:
- 13,025 new Degree Apprenticeships (Levels 6/7) and
- 11,957 new Higher Apprenticeships (Levels 4/5)
- giving a total of 24,982
Using the 70 weeks either side of the initial 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 114 weeks since lockdown: 114 DAs + 105 HAs = 219 total
This shows that both DAs and HAs have more than fully recovered since the initial reductions in the early days of the pandemic. Whilst it’s fair to say that I’m being more thorough in the way I track down and monitor new vacancies than I was in pre-COVID days, I’m definitely seeing an upward trend in volume compared with how things looked two to three years ago. That said, with talk of economic turbulence ahead, I intend to keep my eye on the ball to see if things change.
Updated regional analysis
The 24,982 higher and degree apprenticeships advertised in England since the start of lockdown have been distributed as follows:
- Greater London (6,967)
- Yorkshire (2,227)
- West Midlands (1,511)
- Greater Manchester (1,236)
- Bristol & Gloucestershire (932)
- Hampshire (848)
- Berkshire (724)
- Hertfordshire (640)
- Surrey (566)
- Tyne & Wear (488)
- Nottinghamshire (485)
- Sussex (463)
- Cheshire (453)
- Essex (427)
- Cambridgeshire (419)
- Lancashire (410)
- Warwickshire (393)
- Suffolk (387)
- Merseyside (356)
- Derbyshire (350)
- Devon (327)
- County Durham (316)
- Somerset & South Bristol (314)
- Staffordshire (313)
- Wiltshire (312)
- Leicestershire (291)
- Kent (283)
- Bedfordshire (278)
- Buckinghamshire (263)
- Oxfordshire (256)
- Norfolk (253)
- Cumbria (248)
- Northamptonshire (248)
- Dorset (239)
- Worcestershire (173)
- Lincolnshire (167)
- Shropshire (107)
- Cornwall (96)
- Isle of Wight (42)
- Northumberland (34)
- Herefordshire (31)
- Rutland (4)
- Home working (24)
- Not specified (81)
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 quite as disproportionate as they might appear. (In my data Yorkshire includes North Humberside and East Midlands includes South Humberside.)
To place this into sharper perspective, 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. Clearly London outperforms the rest of England by quite a wide margin, but it’s interesting to see that the West Midlands is the ‘best-performing’ region outside the capital when viewed in the context of its population, followed by Yorkshire, the South West and the East. In recent weeks the East Midlands and North East have been gradually catching up too.
- 6,967 London (8,962,000: 7.77)
- 3,445 South East (9,180,000: 3.75)
- 2,699 North West (7,341,000: 3.68)
- 2,528 West Midlands (5,934,000: 4.26)
- 2,404 East of England (6,236,000: 3.86)
- 2,227 Yorkshire (5,503,000: 4.05)
- 2,220 South West (5,625,000: 3.95)
- 1,545 East Midlands (4,836,000: 3.19)
- 842 North East (2,670,000: 3.15)
- 105 Not specified / home working
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 13,025 new vacancies spread across 99 occupational areas and minimum starting salaries have ranged from £5,590 to £30,629pa. The occupational breakdown is as follows:
2,870 Police Constables
1,155 Digital Technology Solutions (general) *see below for details
1,013 Accountancy/Tax/Audit Professionals
677 Software Engineers/Developers
611 Chartered Managers (general)
558 Nurses (461 Adult, 76 Mental Health, 16 Learning Disability, 5 Child)
490 Civil Engineers
421 Chartered Quantity Surveyors
412 Project Managers
396 Data Scientists/Analysts/Engineers
317 Chartered Building/Property/Land Surveyors
267 Electrical/Electronic Engineers
263 Design & Development Engineers
251 Supply Chain Leaders
212 Food Technology/Production/Manufacturing Professionals
189 Cyber Security Professionals
189 Digital Marketing Professionals
166 Manufacturing Engineers
148 Financial Services Professionals
138 Sales Professionals
123 Professional Economists
121 Building Services Design Engineers
119 Laboratory Scientists
119 Retail Leaders
114 Solicitors
113 Aerospace Engineers
101 Environmental Practitioners
100 Construction Managers
95 Network Engineers
74 Healthcare Science Practitioners (10 Biomedical Science, 10 Medical & Clinical Engineering, 9 Cardiovascular Physiology, 9 Neurophysiology, 7 Nuclear Medicine, 6 Radiation & Radiotherapy Engineering, 6 Respiratory Physiology & Sleep Science, 5 Digital Healthcare Science, 5 Radiation Physics, 3 Bioinformatics, 1 Audiology, 1 Medical Physics, 1 Rehabilitation Engineering, 1 Renal Specialist)
73 Railway/Rail Systems Engineers
70 Digital User Experience (UX) Design Professionals
67 Nuclear Engineers
60 Control Engineers
60 Non-Destructive Testing Engineers
52 Operating Department Practitioners
40 Internal Audit Professionals
39 Radiographers (28 Diagnostic, 11 Therapeutic)
38 Electromechanical/Mechatronics Engineers
38 Manufacturing & Production Managers (non-food)
36 Materials Scientists/Technologists/Engineers
34 Hospitality Managers
32 Broadcast/Media Systems Engineers
31 Creative Digital Design Professionals
29 Town Planners
27 Clinical Trials Specialists
27 Occupational Therapists
27 Podiatrists
23 Business Analysts
23 Packaging Professionals
22 Chemical Engineers
21 Transport Planners
20 Recruitment Professionals
19 Human Resources / People Professionals
19 Weapons Munitions & Explosives Engineers
17 Environmental Health Officers
17 Journalists
17 Social Workers
16 Design & Construction Managers
15 Professional Foresters
14 Building Control Surveyors
14 Junior Traders (Financial Markets)
13 Marketing Managers
12 Architectural Assistants
12 Public Health Practitioners
11 Chartered Rural Surveyors
11 Physiotherapists
10 Geospatial Mapping/Surveying Professionals
8 Agricultural/Horticultural Advisers
8 Gas Transmission Engineers
8 Propulsion Engineers
6 Actuarial Professionals
6 Chartered Managers (Social Change)
5 Operations Analysts
4 Assistant Teachers / Learning Coaches
4 Chartered Legal Executives
4 Compliance & Risk Specialists
4 Fire Safety Engineers
4 Geotechnical/Geospatial Engineers
4 Sport Development Officers
3 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Specialists
3 Digital Transformation Engineers
3 Fitness/Leisure Centre Managers
3 TV Production Managers
2 Buying & Procurement Professionals
2 Education Technology Specialists
2 Midwives
2 Pensions Professionals
2 Tax Technologists
1 Brewer
1 Charity Manager
1 Events Manager
1 Facilities Manager
1 Human Performance Engineer
1 Marine Engineer
1 Population Health Intelligence Analyst
1 Prosthetist & Orthotist
1 Speech Therapist
1 Visual Merchandiser
*Digital Technology Solutions (general) has encompassed or led to the following range of specialisms:
Software Engineer, Software Developer, Software Tester, Network Engineer, Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Global Data Analyst, Data Architect, Network Architect, Enterprise Architect, Cyber Security Specialist, IT Consultant, Solutions Consultant, Software Implementation Consultant, Software Consultant, Project Manager, Project Co-ordinator, Business Intelligence Specialist, Business Systems Engineer/Developer, Automation Developer, Full Stack Developer, Digital Developer, Technology Architect, Technology Manager, Innovation Technologist, Innovation Design Analyst, Agile Analyst, Application Support Analyst, Business Analyst, Global Mobility Analyst, Content Analyst, Security Operations Analyst, Process Mining Analyst, User Experience Researcher, Junior Product Manager, Infrastructure Specialist, FinTech Expert, DevOps Engineer, Solutions Engineer, Digital Solutions Engineer, Systems Engineer, Automation Engineer, Support Engineer, Cloud Engineer, Sales Engineer, Sales Account Manager, Sales Operations Manager, Scientific Computing Specialist, Platform Manager, Service Manager, Engineering Information Manager, Amazon Web Services Specialist, Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition Specialist, Fixed Telecoms Specialist, IT Support Analyst, IT Service Desk Analyst, Support Desk Analyst, WordPress Developer, Technology Operations & Service Delivery Specialist, Functional Consultant, Technical Consultant, Digital Manufacturing Engineer, Electronic Systems Design & Development Engineer, Solution Engineering & Development Specialist, Client Delivery Specialist, Client Success Specialist, Client Consultant, Operations Resilience & Change Specialist, Innovation Foundry Specialist, Continuous Improvement & Automation Specialist and Railway Signalling Control Systems Specialist.
That’s some list!
Higher Apprenticeships (Levels 4/5):
In total there have been 11,957 new vacancies spread across 126 occupational areas and minimum starting salaries have ranged from £5,590 to £35,000pa. The occupational breakdown is as follows:
1,147 Sales Executives
980 Software Developers
905 Data Analysts
855 Project Management Associates
846 Trainee Accountants / Accounting Technicians
368 School/Community Sports Coaches
334 Manufacturing Engineering Technicians
329 Construction Site Supervisors
318 Business Analysts
309 Nursing Associates
278 Taxation Technicians
277 Network Engineers
253 Software Testers
229 Retail Assistant Managers
225 Public Relations & Communications Assistants
219 Quantity Surveying Technicians
204 Cyber Security Technologists
200 Civil/Site Engineering Technicians
197 Commercial Procurement & Supply Practitioners
188 Children/Youth/Family Practitioners
182 Buying & Merchandising Specialists
177 Building Services Engineering Technicians
172 Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technicians
168 Government Policy Officers
157 Technician Scientists
133 Investment Operations Specialists
131 Associate Ambulance Practitioners
128 Insurance Professionals
119 Marketing Executives
102 DevOps Engineers
98 Regulatory Compliance Officers
83 Early Years Lead Practitioners
77 Junior Management Consultants
77 Nuclear Technicians
71 Healthcare Science Associates (18 Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensers, 14 Cardiorespiratory & Sleep Physiology, 13 Bio/Medical Engineering, 8 MRI Radiography, 6 Genetics Technology, 4 Speech Therapy, 2 Mammography, 2 Medical Physics, 2 Phlebotomy, 1 Biochemistry, 1 Tissue Retrieval)
70 Human Resources Consultants/Partners
70 Mineral Products Technicians
69 Construction Design & Build Technicians
69 Food Technology/Engineering/Production Technicians
61 Quality Practitioners
60 Recruitment Resourcers/Consultants
57 Financial Paraplanners
47 Healthcare Associate Practitioners (general)
44 Adult Social Care Lead Practitioners
43 Hospitality Managers
37 Brewers
35 Intelligence Analysts
35 Vehicle Damage Assessors
34 Automotive Engineering/Propulsion Technicians
34 TV/Media Production Co-ordinators
33 Actuarial Technicians
31 Dairy Technologists
30 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Practitioners
30 Learning/Skills & Development Practitioners
28 Journalists
27 Business Improvement Practitioners
27 Internal Audit Practitioners
26 Ordnance Munitions & Explosives Technicians
25 Automation & Control Engineers
25 Railway Engineering Technicians
22 Revenue & Welfare Benefits Officers
21 Estate Agency Negotiators
20 Operations Managers
18 Housing/Property/Lettings Officers
15 Smart Energy Engineers
14 Countryside Rangers
14 Fibre Cable Engineers
14 Police Community Support Officers
12 Broadcast & Media Systems Technicians
12 Land Referencers
12 Logistics Specialists
10 Digital Community Managers
10 Hygiene Specialists
9 Naval Architects / Marine Engineering Technicians
9 Railway/Passenger Transport Operations Managers
8 Emergency Medical Technicians
8 Information Managers
8 Paralegals
8 Post-Production Technical Operators (Film/TV)
7 Computer Games Developers
7 Employability Practitioners
6 Acoustics Technicians
6 Facilities Managers
6 Fire Safety Inspectors
6 Football Coaches
6 School Business Professionals
5 Architectural Technicians
5 Counter Fraud Investigators
5 Rehabilitation Officers (Visual Impairment)
4 Conveyancing Technicians
4 Market Research Executive
4 Unified Communications Trouble Shooters
3 Fashion & Textiles Technologists
3 Gymnastics/Trampoline Coaches
3 Pensions Administrators
3 Port Marine Operations Officers
3 Senior Culinary Chefs
3 Sports Development Officers
3 Utilities Technicians
2 Arboriculturists
2 Auctioneers
2 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Technicians
2 Early Intervention Practitioners
2 Historic Site Advisers
2 Music Recording Technicians
2 Space Engineering Technicians
2 Tax Technology Technicians
2 Town Planning Assistants
2 VFX Artists
2 Water Recycling Engineers
1 Chaplain
1 Chemical Process Technician
1 Clinical Coder
1 Community Energy Specialist
1 Community Safety Officer (Antisocial Behaviour)
1 Dental Technician
1 Digital Accessibility Specialist
1 Fitness Club Manager
1 Fitness Instructor
1 Horticultural / Landscape Design Practitioner
1 Lighting Designer
1 Metrology Technician
1 Payroll Assistant Manager
1 Tennis Coach
1 Wedding Accessories Designer
1 Wedding Venue Co-ordinator
Going forward
All being well I will continue posting frequent updates, usually on Sunday nights.
© Alan Bullock Careers, 29/5/2022