Week 121: Higher & Degree Apprenticeship overview – with new enhanced regional data

Latest reflections

The normal pattern for July continued this week with a steady but not prolific spread of new vacancies across England.

However, perhaps the most notable development is that I’ve crunched some more numbers following publication of the first batch of data from the 2021 national census. This has enabled me to update and improve my regional comparisons and, although it hasn’t radically changed anything, I do think it adds an interesting new twist.

My new data for Scotland is also coming on nicely, with 78 new vacancies now recorded since the start of last month and some interesting patterns already emerging. It’s a little too early to publish anything on this, but I aim to write occasional reports for Scotland in the near future and for Wales and Northern Ireland in due course.

And with the academic year coming to an end this week, I’ve picked out one of my favourite sunset photos from my own collection as my featured image.

Background

Since the first ‘lockdown’ started on Monday 23^rd 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. Studying one or more STEM subjects will also give applicants an advantage in terms of opening up a wider range of options, although there is plenty of life outside STEM too.

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 11^th to 17^th July 2022 I recorded:

61 new Degree Apprenticeship vacancies and
139 new Higher Apprenticeship vacancies

In the 121 weeks since the start of the first COVID-19 lockdown (23^rd March 2020 to 17^th July 2022) I’ve now recorded:

13,741 new Degree Apprenticeships (Levels 6/7) and
12,884 new Higher Apprenticeships (Levels 4/5)
giving a total of 26,625

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 121 weeks since lockdown: 114 DAs + 106 HAs = 220 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, I intend to keep my eye on the ball to see if things change further.

Updated analysis by county and region

By county, the 26,625 higher and degree apprenticeships advertised in England since the start of lockdown have been distributed as follows:

Greater London (7,313)
Yorkshire (2,303)
West Midlands (1,610)
Greater Manchester (1,323)
Bristol & Gloucestershire (996)
Hampshire (912)
Berkshire (780)
Hertfordshire (665)
Surrey (588)
Nottinghamshire (540)
Tyne & Wear (505)
Cheshire (497)
Derbyshire (489)
Sussex (485)
Cambridgeshire (451)
Essex (449)
Lancashire (441)
Warwickshire (438)
Suffolk (417)
Merseyside (366)
Somerset & South Bristol (366)
Staffordshire (347)
Devon (342)
County Durham (327)
Wiltshire (323)
Leicestershire (306)
Bedfordshire (299)
Kent (296)
Oxfordshire (289)
Buckinghamshire (279)
Dorset (275)
Norfolk (267)
Cumbria (260)
Northamptonshire (259)
Lincolnshire (190)
Worcestershire (179)
Shropshire (125)
Cornwall (100)
Isle of Wight (43)
Northumberland (37)
Herefordshire (31)
Rutland (7)
Home working (29)
Not specified (81)

New improved regional data: The following list shows how those stats add up regionally. Alongside the total number of vacancies for each region in bold, the figure in brackets now shows the resident population of 15-24 year-olds using the very latest ONS data published in June 2022 and rounded to the nearest 100. Then the extra stat in bold indexes my apprenticeship figures against the 15-24 year-old population. Thus the ‘index’ shows the number of DAs and HAs since March 2020 per 1,000 of the 15-24 population for each region:

7,313 London (1,078,600: 6.78)
2,730 West Midlands (720,900: 3.79)
2,421 South West (645,800: 3.75)
2,548 East of England (685,300: 3.72)
3,653 South East (1,040,500: 3.51)
2,349 Yorkshire & Humber (670,800: 3.50)
2,883 North West (884,600: 3.26)
1,745 East Midlands (593,700: 2.94)
873 North East (313,000: 2.79)
110 Not specified / Home working

26,625 Total England (6,633,200: 4.01)

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 13,741 new vacancies spread across 102 occupational areas and minimum starting salaries have ranged from £5,590 to £32,000pa. The occupational breakdown is as follows:

2,870 Police Constables

1,231 Digital Technology Solutions (general) *see below for details

1,068 Accountancy/Tax/Audit Professionals

699 Software Engineers/Developers

689 Chartered Managers (general)

582 Nurses (472 Adult, 86 Mental Health, 19 Learning Disability, 5 Child)

532 Civil Engineers

445 Chartered Quantity Surveyors

413 Project Managers

409 Data Scientists/Analysts/Engineers

325 Chartered Building/Property/Land Surveyors

275 Electrical/Electronic Engineers

271 Design & Development Engineers

259 Supply Chain Leaders

217 Food Technology/Production/Manufacturing Professionals

201 Digital Marketing Professionals

196 Cyber Security Professionals

173 Manufacturing Engineers

160 Nuclear Engineers/Scientists

149 Financial Services Professionals

142 Sales Professionals

132 Building Services Design Engineers

124 Professional Economists

123 Laboratory Scientists

119 Retail Leaders

117 Solicitors

113 Aerospace Engineers

109 Environmental Practitioners

101 Construction Managers

95 Network Engineers

92 Healthcare Science Practitioners (12 Cardiac Physiology, 11 Biomedical Science, 11 Nuclear Medicine Technology, 10 Medical & Clinical Engineering, 10 Neurophysiology, 8 Radiation & Radiotherapy Engineering, 8 Respiratory Physiology & Sleep Science, 7 Radiation & Radiotherapy Physics, 5 Audiology, 5 Digital Healthcare Science, 3 Bioinformatics, 1 Rehabilitation Engineering, 1 Renal Specialist)

75 Hospital Operating Department Practitioners

75 Railway/Rail Systems Engineers

72 Digital User Experience (UX) Design Professionals

62 Control Engineers

60 Non-Destructive Testing Engineers

46 Electro-Mechanical/Mechatronics Engineers

40 Hospitality Managers

40 Internal Audit Professionals

40 Radiographers (28 Diagnostic, 12 Therapeutic)

39 Materials Scientists/Technologists/Engineers

39 Town Planners

38 Manufacturing & Production Managers (non-food)

36 Clinical Trials Specialists

36 Occupational Therapists

33 Creative Digital Design Professionals

32 Broadcast/Media Systems Engineers

30 Recruitment Professionals

29 Podiatrists

27 Business Analysts

27 Social Workers

24 Packaging Professionals

22 Building Control Surveyors

22 Chemical Engineers

22 Transport Planners

20 Human Resources / People Professionals

19 Chartered Rural Surveyors

19 Weapons Munitions & Explosives Engineers

18 Environmental Health Officers

17 Architectural Technologists

17 Journalists

16 Project Control Professionals

15 Architectural Assistants

15 Professional Foresters

15 Public Health Practitioners

14 Geotechnical Engineers

14 Junior Traders (Global Financial Markets)

14 Marketing Managers

13 GIS / Geospatial Mapping & Surveying Professionals

11 Physiotherapists

9 Business Managers (Social Change)

8 Agricultural/Horticultural Advisers

8 Gas Transmission Engineers

8 Propulsion Engineers

6 Actuarial Professionals

6 Sport Development Officers

5 Chartered Legal Executives

5 Fire Safety Engineers

5 Operations Analysts

4 Assistant Teachers / Learning Coaches

4 Compliance & Risk Specialists

4 Speech & Language Therapists

3 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Specialists

3 Buying & Procurement Professionals

3 Digital Transformation Engineers

3 Fitness/Leisure Centre Managers

3 TV Production Managers

2 Career Development Professionals

2 Education Technology Specialists

2 Midwives

2 Pensions Professionals

2 Tax Technologists

1 Brewer

1 Charity Manager

1 Community Centre Manager

1 Events Manager

1 Facilities Manager

1 Human Performance Engineer

1 Marine Engineer

1 Population Health Intelligence Analyst

1 Prosthetist & Orthotist

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, Automation Test Developer, Full Stack Developer, Digital Developer, Solutions Architect, Technology Architect, Technology Manager, Innovation Technologist, Innovation Design Analyst, Agile Analyst, Application Support Analyst, Technical Support Analyst, Business Analyst, Global Mobility Analyst, Content Analyst, Security Operations Analyst, Process Mining Analyst, User Experience Researcher, Junior Product Manager, Infrastructure Specialist, FinTech Specialist, DevOps Engineer, Solutions Engineer, Digital Solutions Engineer, Systems Engineer, Automation Engineer, IT Support Engineer, Service Desk 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, Support Desk Analyst, IT Support Analyst, IT Service Desk Analyst, IT Technician, Computing Technician, 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 and it keeps growing.

Higher Apprenticeships (Levels 4/5):

In total there have been 12,884 new vacancies spread across 128 occupational areas and minimum starting salaries have ranged from £5,590 to £35,000pa. The occupational breakdown is as follows:

1,227 Sales Executives

1,050 Software Developers

957 Data Analysts

905 Project Management Associates

892 Trainee Accountants / Accounting Technicians

452 School/Community Sports Coaches

365 Construction Site Supervisors

365 Manufacturing Engineering Technicians

358 Nursing Associates

351 Business Analysts

309 Network Engineers

308 Taxation Technicians

275 Software Testers

245 Quantity Surveying Technicians

234 Public Relations & Communications Assistants

231 Retail Assistant Managers

218 Cyber Security Technologists

210 Commercial Procurement & Supply Practitioners

209 Civil/Site Engineering Technicians

193 Building Services Engineering Technicians

188 Children/Youth/Family Practitioners

184 Buying & Merchandising Specialists

175 Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technicians

170 Technician Scientists

169 Government Policy Officers

150 Insurance Professionals

145 Investment Operations Specialists

131 Associate Ambulance Practitioners

129 Marketing Executives

120 DevOps Engineers

106 Regulatory Compliance Officers

87 Early Years Lead Practitioners

81 Construction Design & Build Technicians

78 Junior Management Consultants

77 Food Technology/Engineering/Production Technicians

77 Nuclear Technicians

74 Human Resources Specialists

73 Healthcare Science Associates (18 Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensers, 14 Cardiorespiratory & Sleep Physiology, 13 Bio/Medical Engineering, 8 MRI Radiography, 6 Genetics Technology, 4 Mammography, 4 Speech Therapy, 2 Medical Physics, 2 Phlebotomy, 1 Biochemistry, 1 Tissue Retrieval)

73 Mineral Products Technicians

69 Quality Practitioners

66 Recruitment Resourcers/Consultants

59 Financial Advisers/Paraplanners

47 Healthcare Associate Practitioners (general)

45 Adult Social Care Lead Practitioners

44 Hospitality Managers

44 Vehicle Damage Assessors

43 Actuarial Technicians

42 Internal Audit Practitioners

39 Brewers

37 Intelligence Analysts

36 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Practitioners

35 Automotive Engineering/Propulsion Technicians

34 TV/Media Production Co-ordinators

32 Automation & Control Engineers

31 Business Improvement Practitioners

31 Dairy Technologists

30 Learning/Skills & Development Practitioners

28 Journalists

26 Ordnance Munitions & Explosives Technicians

25 Railway Engineering Technicians

23 Revenue & Welfare Benefits Officers

22 Operations Managers

21 Estate Agency Negotiators

21 Housing/Property/Lettings Managers

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

12 Paralegals

11 Hygiene Specialists

10 Digital Community Managers

10 Football Coaches

10 Information Managers

9 Naval Architects / Marine Engineering Technicians

9 Railway/Passenger Transport Operations Managers

8 Acoustics Technicians

8 Emergency Medical Technicians

8 Film/TV Post-Production Technical Operators

7 Computer Games Developers

7 Employability Practitioners

6 Counter Fraud Investigators

6 Facilities Managers

6 Fire Safety Inspectors

6 School Business Professionals

5 Architectural Technicians

5 Market Research Executives

5 Rehabilitation Officers (Visual Impairment)

4 Aircraft Certifying Technicians

4 Gymnastics/Trampoline Coaches / Rebound Therapists

4 Unified Communications Trouble Shooters

3 Fashion & Textiles Technologists

3 Pensions Administrators

3 Port Marine Operations Officers

3 Senior Culinary Chefs

3 Space Engineering Technicians

3 Sports Development Officers

3 Utilities Technicians

2 Arboriculturists

2 Auctioneers

2 Building Information Modelling (BIM) Technicians

2 Dental Technicians

2 Early Intervention Practitioners

2 Historic Site Advisers

2 Music Recording 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 Cultural Heritage Conservation Technician

1 Customs & Foreign Exchange Expert

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.

As from 1^st June I have also started to track Degree and Higher Apprenticeships in Wales and Northern Ireland and their equivalent in Scotland (Graduate Apprenticeships). I’ve always been very conscious that my blog only covers England and I intend to redress this in the near future.

https://alanbullockcareers.com/