JOBLIFT ANALYSES THE UK’S APPRENTICESHIP JOB MARKET IN COMPARISON TO INTERNSHIPS
Hamburg/Berlin, 20 July, 2017 – There has recently been a particular spotlight on apprenticeships owed largely to the promises of the election and the worry of a post-Brexit labour shortage. Education Secretary, Justine Greening urged all employers to offer apprenticeship schemes to push the “skills revolution for Brexit Britain,” with Theresa May pledging to create three million new apprenticeships by 2020. With this in mind, job meta-search engine Joblift has studied the apprenticeship job market and compared the growth in vacancies with that of internships, observing a North/South divide in postings and found that 13 times more apprenticeship were posted in the past year than internships.
THE UK’S APPRENTICESHIP JOB MARKET HAS GROWN BY 12 TIMES MORE THAN THE OVERALL UK JOB MARKET, WITH WALES SEEING THE HIGHEST INCREASE IN VACANCIES
According to Joblift, 161,320 apprenticeships have been posted in the last 12 months, and this market has seen an average monthly increase of 12%. For reference, the apprenticeship job market has risen by 12 times as much as the UK’s job market as a whole, which has seen an average monthly increase of 1%. England has housed 66% of all apprenticeships in the UK in the last year, with 106,076 vacancies. Interestingly, however, Wales and Scotland witnessed a huge spike in apprenticeship vacancies in June 2017. 756 apprenticeships were advertised in Scotland in June 2017, which is seven times the average monthly figure of 108 vacancies. Wales saw the largest surge with a staggering 790 apprenticeship vacancies posted last month, 15 times larger than the average monthly 54 vacancies. In addition, England and Northern Ireland also saw an increase in vacancies last month, both countries experienced twice as many vacancies in June 2017 than their monthly averages, of 7,918 and 17 respectively.
APPRENTICESHIPS VERSUS INTERNSHIPS: INTERNSHIP VACANCIES INCREASE FOUR TIMES MORE THAN APPRENTICESHIPS, BUT 74% OF INTERNSHIPS REQUIRE QUALIFICATIONS
Joblift also analysed the apprenticeship job market in comparison with internships, which were once seen as the academic alternative to more traditionally vocational apprenticeship postings. Joblift’s studies show that 12,648 internships have been advertised in the last 12 months, 13 times less than the 161,320 apprenticeships. However, internships are increasing at a much greater rate than apprenticeships; internships have seen an average monthly increase of 46% in the past year, four times more than the 12% increase in apprenticeships. Within the 12,648 internships that have been on offer, 74% require qualifications in the form of university degrees or A Levels, as opposed to just 2% of apprenticeships requiring qualifications above GCSE level. This highlights the limitations of internships to candidates who choose not to pursue further education and shows how apprenticeships are offering an appealing alternative.
NORTH VERSUS SOUTH: APPRENTICESHIPS MOST PREVALENT IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND, WHEREAS INTERNSHIPS ARE FOCUSED IN THE SOUTH
Furthermore, when looking at the most prevalent cities for apprenticeships, in comparison to internships, a North-South divide becomes apparent:
Top ten cities for Apprenticeships Top ten cities for Internships
London (8,829) 1. London (4,953)
Manchester (4,426) 2. Manchester (195)
Birmingham (4,113) 3. Bristol (157)
Nottingham (2,440) 4. Birmingham (129)
Leeds (2,417) 5. Cambridge (109)
Bristol (2,248) 6. Leeds (88)
Bolton (1,741) 7. Bath (63)
Sheffield (1,666) 8. Glasgow (62)
Derby (1,341) 9. Edinburgh (59)
Darlington (1,276) 10. Swindon (59)
Whilst London tops the list in both categories, five of the top ten cities for apprenticeships are located in the North of England, with three in the Midlands and two in the South. This is in comparison to five of the top ten cities for internships being located in the South of England, with two in Scotland, two in the North, and one in the Midlands.
About Joblift
Joblift is meta search engine for currently more than 1,000,000 jobs from over 100 partner job boards. Joblift’s customised search filters and email notifications allow users to personalise their search criteria. The company was founded in 2015 by Lukas Erlebach and Malte Widenka. At the two locations in Hamburg and Berlin, Joblift currently employs a team of around 50 employees.