Government must now take action to halt the decline in the number of new science apprenticeships in England.
The number of new apprenticeships started across the science sector has fallen by half over the past five years, according to the latest data released by the Science Industry Partnership (SIP), an employer-led membership alliance that supports the sector’s skills needs.
The decline in apprenticeship starts in science companies (51% decrease between 2015/16 and 2020/21) is more pronounced in SMEs (which have decreased by 72% compared to a 20% decrease in larger companies) and poses a potential skills risk to develop future talent.
The picture is more varied in the science sub-sectors, where the success of university-level apprenticeships has helped increase the number of starts in the pharmaceutical industry (up 4%) and scientific R&D industry (up 42%).
The latest findings from the SIP survey on apprenticeships in the science sector include a number of practical reforms to address employers’ concerns in the apprenticeship system. These include:
- A call for a stable and consistent skills policy environment to maintain employer confidence
- Greater flexibility in using apprenticeship levy funds for short courses and professional development.
- Qualification assurance in teaching
- Increased support for SMEs to facilitate the recruitment and recruitment of apprenticeships.
- Guarantee equal opportunities in training and promote social mobility
dr Malcolm Skingle, Chair of Scientific industrial partnership and Academic Liaison Director GSK commented: “Apprentices are key to ensuring we have a diverse and skilled workforce at all levels, and employers continue to use them flexibly to both develop the workforce and attract new talent. The overall decline in numbers is not an industry-specific trend. The sector has ambition, but we need to ensure that policies and funding mechanisms support employers, meet the needs of our apprentices and enable the development of a highly skilled, globally transferable workforce.”
The SIP stresses that although more than five years have passed since the introduction of the levy system, 60% of the funds raised within the sector are still lost when they expire. Highlighting the opportunity to increase the flexibility of the levy to encourage investment in skills, foster work-based learning and support broader economic growth.
