Apprentis Impact Report 2025 - Original research, validated outcomes, and a roadmap for scaling the future of apprenticeship readiness.
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Students Reached
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Confirmed Outcomes
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Feel More Prepared
Demand for apprenticeships has never been higher, yet access, readiness, and successful progression remain deeply uneven.
The UK apprenticeship system is at an inflection point. Demand for apprenticeships — particularly higher and degree‑level pathways — has never been higher, driven by rising tuition costs, demand for real‑world experience, and employer appetite for structured early‑talent pipelines. Yet access, readiness, and successful progression remain deeply uneven, with young people from underrepresented communities facing the steepest barriers.
Apprentis is an all‑in‑one apprenticeship platform where aspiring apprentices discover opportunities, grow confidence and launch debt‑free careers, while employers, schools, universities and training providers connect with motivated, career‑ready talent at scale. It is designed as a readiness and talent infrastructure: a full‑stack, in‑house developed platform that guides learners from awareness to application to success using a validated six‑stage framework that makes apprenticeship success repeatable, rather than a one‑off matching tool, by structuring the readiness journey, embedding peer support and linking into public and university systems.
Stage Framework
6
Built and validated readiness framework
Aspiring Apprentices
89%
Students actively seeking apprenticeships
Underrepresented
85%
Black/African/Caribbean and Asian users
Consultations
500+
One-to-one sessions delivered
Recommend Us
91%
Would recommend Apprentis to others
Outcomes
300+
Confirmed placements across 9+ sectors
Iyioluwa Adesan
Founder & CEO, Apprentis
The apprenticeship story is changing. Apprenticeships are now some of the most competitive, high-stakes pathways into top-tier careers in finance, technology, engineering, and professional services. At the same time, millions of capable young people still fall through the cracks - blocked not by a lack of talent, but by information gaps, confidence gaps, and a system that is hard to navigate without insider knowledge.
My own story makes this personal. I was dropped from my IT class in Year 12. I did not have enough UCAS points for a traditional university offer. I was classified as an international student and told I was ineligible for a student loan. Then I found a degree apprenticeship at NatWest Group - on their inaugural Digital and Innovation programme through NatWest Ventures. First of its kind. Ten places. I was one of them. My mother came with me on my first day. Not just to support me. She needed to see it with her own eyes. A bank was sponsoring my degree, paying me a salary, and giving me a career. It sounded too good to be true. For families like ours, it was the kind of opportunity that does not happen - until it does. In 2024, I graduated with a BSc in Digital Technology Solutions - the exact subject I had been dropped from in sixth form. The problem was never my ability. It was the absence of a system designed to help me get there. Apprentis is that system.
"Apprentis is the platform I wish had existed at the start of that journey. It brings together what was previously scattered - information, tools, mentors, employers and providers - into one coherent system where early talent can understand themselves, prepare intentionally, and move through apprenticeships without debt, delay or doubt."
This impact report is a first step in holding ourselves accountable to that belief by using real data, real stories, and real outcomes to show what is working, what is not, and where we go next. The work is informed by international conversations on apprenticeship degrees and education-to-career systems, including convenings at the University of Oxford.
Understanding the structural barriers that Apprentis was built to overcome.
Apprentis is designed as readiness and talent infrastructure for the future of apprenticeships.
566 responses from young people reveal a generational shift in how careers are planned.
For years, university was the "default" route, with apprenticeships seen as a niche alternative. But the tide has turned. Debt-free learning, earning while studying, and direct industry experience have made apprenticeships a mainstream choice.
What path are you considering?
82% are seriously considering degree apprenticeships - a seismic shift from university as default.
What would help you most?
The biggest barrier is confidence, not capability. Over half need interview preparation support.
Which sectors excite you most?
40% Technology, 38% Finance - Gen Z is clear about high-growth sectors, but engineering remains overlooked despite national skills shortages.
Young people need clear, centralised pathways - not scattered information across dozens of platforms.
The gap is not capability, it's readiness. Interview anxiety is the biggest barrier to success.
Students want to belong - they need to understand culture, progression, and mentorship opportunities.
The data proves that apprenticeships are on the right path to becoming the first choice pathway for young people. They are ready. They are telling us what they need: clarity, confidence, and connection. With the right support and partnerships, apprenticeships will be accessible to everyone.
Iyioluwa Adesan
Founder & CEO, Apprentis
Despite explosive demand, the system remains broken. This is not a student problem - it is a system problem.
Your voices are shaping this. Join thousands of young people preparing for apprenticeships with confidence.
Start Your JourneyThe future of talent is knocking. Win the battle for early talent and close persistent skills gaps.
Book a ConsultationRapid adoption across schools, colleges, and directly through the platform. Growth accelerated significantly from May 2025, driven by expanded school partnerships, Readiness tools development, expanded free 1-2-1 consultations, and increased social media reach.
Apprentis serves communities historically underrepresented in higher education and corporate pipelines.
User base predominantly aged 16-20
89%
Aspiring Apprentices or Students
72%
Currently in Education
80%
Seeking Higher/Degree Level
56%
Black/African/Caribbean Users
A validated framework mirroring how successful apprentices progress in real systems.
Each stage addresses a specific point where young people typically stall, disengage, or fail. The framework was tested in schools and colleges throughout 2025, then pressure-tested live and in public on the Elizabeth Line in November 2025. The full validation is documented in the Framework Validation section below.
The Apprentis Readiness Quiz provides a diagnostic snapshot across six critical dimensions. From early cohorts, these metrics demonstrate that informed awareness increases intent.
These metrics show that a short, targeted intervention is enough to transform vague interest into informed intent. Informed awareness increases intent to pursue apprenticeships.
Where users are looking, what they are exploring, and what the data tells us about demand.
Primary interest spans finance, technology, engineering, business, healthcare, and construction.
This confirms that demand for higher-level roles is high and that the platform is especially relevant for sectors where competition is most intense.
Growth accelerated significantly from May 2025, driven by expanded school partnerships, Readiness tools and resources development, expanded free 1-2-1 consultations to aspiring apprentices and students, and increased social media reach. The summer period reflected demand from students beginning their September application cycle.
Diagnostics from this stage reveal where applicants most need support, and how Apprentis tools close those gaps.
45%
Only "somewhat confident" in communication skills
40%
Have a basic CV that requires substantial improvement
54%
Only somewhat confident writing applications
30%
Have not practised interviews at all
This data informs the design of templates, practice tasks, and 1:1 support, and it gives employers transparency into typical readiness baselines. These diagnostics directly shape the CV and cover letter templates, interview frameworks, assessment centre preparation, and personalised Apply plans that Apprentis provides.
Each stage is tied to concrete tools and measurable indicators, allowing Apprentis to track where users are, what support they need next, and how preparedness changes over time.
Structured modules for communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and professional conduct in workplace settings.
Sector-specific knowledge building and commercial awareness training aligned with employer expectations.
Measurable indicators track skill development over time, identifying gaps and recommending targeted interventions.
Building the relationships and insider knowledge that transform capable candidates into successful apprentices.
Users who engage with Connect stage resources report significantly higher confidence in navigating recruitment processes and stronger understanding of workplace culture expectations.
On 22nd November 2025, Apprentis undertook a real-world test of its six-stage framework — walking the entire Elizabeth Line and delivering structured micro-interventions at every stop.
The challenge was simple: could the Apprentis six-stage framework operate in public, under real conditions, with no selected audience? Over 8+ hours, each Elizabeth Line station hosted a single-stage micro-intervention — brief, structured, and designed to prove that meaningful career support can happen anywhere, for anyone.
23 Stops
End-to-end journey
Abbey Wood in South East London to Reading in Berkshire
6 Stages
Framework in action
Each stage tested in real-world conditions with real passengers
1 Day
8+ hours
Continuous delivery proving the framework's portability
The exercise was filmed, documented, and analysed — producing structured lessons that have since been integrated into Apprentis platform design. Every station offered a window into how real people respond to readiness support.
| Observation | Platform Response |
|---|---|
| Awareness is high but shallow. Most people know apprenticeships exist — but cannot explain levels, standards, or progression routes. | Restructured Start stage to emphasise practical level selection and concrete next steps. |
| The biggest emotional moment is decision clarity. Users light up when the path becomes visible. | Introduced visual timeline and pathfinding features in Find stage to surface decision points clearly. |
| Application anxiety is real and specific. The fear is not rejection — it is not knowing what to do. | Expanded Apply stage resources with structured checklists and stage-by-stage application walkthroughs. |
| Peer connection is the most underestimated variable. The Connect station generated the highest-engagement interactions. | Elevated Connect from a supporting feature to a core pillar of the user journey, with structured introductions in onboarding. |
| The system must travel with the user. The most consistent feedback was: "Where do I go now?" | Informed the design of the Apprentis AI Agent — a 24/7 voice and chat guidance system launched in February 2026. |
The Apprentis Line did not solve the UK's apprenticeship access problem. What it did was prove that the architecture Apprentis has built to address that problem actually works in the most demanding possible environment: the real world, with real people, with no safety net and no selected audience.
Supporting apprentices through the critical first months on the job and into long-term career progression.
Learn from people who are living the apprenticeship experience right now. Real accounts from current apprentices at leading employers - what the work is actually like, what surprised them, and what they wish they had known before they started.
Guidance on internal mobility, professional development, and long-term career planning within and beyond the apprenticeship.
Connecting successful apprentices to give back, mentor the next cohort, and build an ongoing community of practice.
Verified apprenticeship placements across finance, technology, consulting, engineering, and more. Every placement in this report is a named individual at a named employer.
79% at Level 6 (degree apprenticeships) vs. 17.1% nationally
Apprentis operates with 200+ employers across sectors. Below is the full list of confirmed partners and placement destinations.
| Sector | Confirmed Employers |
|---|---|
| Finance & Banking | Goldman Sachs, Barclays, JP Morgan Chase, NatWest, Lloyds Banking Group, Standard Chartered, UBS, Bank of America, Bloomberg, Phoenix Group, M&G Investments, Charles Stanley, BNP Paribas, Royal London Group, VISA, Arbuthnot Latham |
| Professional Services | Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Accenture, Oliver Wyman, PA Consulting |
| Accounting | BDO UK, Forvis Mazars, Grant Thornton UK, RSM UK, Crowe UK, HaysMac, MHA, Azets, Ripe Chartered Accountants |
| Technology | Amazon, Microsoft, Salesforce, Kyndryl, Apple, BT Group, SAP, Booking.com, ITI Group, Amazon Lab126 |
| Construction | Turner & Townsend, Bellway Homes, MACE, Multiplex, Arup, Laing O'Rourke, Workman LLP, Jacobs, Bowmer & Kirkland, Baily Garner |
| Engineering | Rolls-Royce, Airbus, RWE, Heathrow, Mondelēz International, M Group Rail & Aviation, MAG (Manchester Airports Group) |
| Insurance | AON, Legal & General, Generali, Lockton, Tokio Marine HCC, Price Forbes |
| Law | Bevan Brittan LLP, Harbottle & Lewis, DLA Piper |
| Real Estate & Architecture | CBRE, Savills, EPR Architects, Ryder Architecture |
| Other Sectors | L'Oréal, Unilever, National Grid, Severn Trent, DHL, TFL, Govia Thameslink Railway, DP World, Bleep360, Ormiston Forge Academy, Valuation Office Agency, PROMAN UK, Arvato |
79% of Apprentis outcomes are at Level 6 (degree apprenticeships). Nationally, Level 6 and 7 starts combined represent just 17.1% of all apprenticeship starts in 2024/25. Apprentis is disproportionately placing people into the most competitive, highest-value pathways in the system.
Every confirmed outcome is a person. Behind the 300+ figure are individual journeys — rejections, pivots, rebuilt confidence, and offers that changed everything.
Data Science Degree Apprentice, Unilever
Technology · Level 6 · Keele University
A few months ago, Mohamed sent a message: "Your message couldn't have come at a more perfect time. I currently have a final interview with a Big 4 firm. I'd really appreciate a practice interview."
He booked a 1-to-1 consultation through Apprentis. Together, we worked through interview strategy, application refinement, storytelling through experience, and rebuilding confidence after a run of rejections.
Mohamed used his gap year strategically. He gained work experience. He built a project portfolio. He tailored every application and kept improving until the right opportunity came. When the Unilever role arrived, he was ready.
"I would like to thank Iyioluwa Adesan for offering an insightful 1-1, helping me smash interviews."
— Mohamed Maygi, Data Science Degree Apprentice, Unilever
Apprentis support used:
Project Controls PMO Degree Apprentice, Turner & Townsend
Construction · Level 6 · University of Cumbria
In a sixth-form politics seminar, a former MP asked who in the room would not want to go to university full time. Shalom raised her hand. She stood up and said she wanted to become a degree apprentice. From that moment, she made it her mission.
The road was not straightforward. Constant rejections with minimal feedback became a significant demotivator. The pressure she had placed on herself made her question whether she was ever suitable for an apprenticeship. Then she found Apprentis.
Through a 1-to-1 consultation, she was advised to keep her CV concise and relevant, and to tell her story openly. She refined her CV to be ATS-friendly and submitted her Turner & Townsend application with exactly two days remaining before the deadline. She got the offer.
"Being yourself will allow the interviewers to see the authentic you and not a pre-planned image. This is what identifies you as the anomaly."
— Shalom Mazadza, Project Controls PMO Degree Apprentice, Turner & Townsend
Apprentis support used:
These two stories represent what 300+ outcomes actually look like. Different sectors. Different cities. Different barriers. The same result: a young person who came to Apprentis without an offer and left on a path to a debt-free degree and a real career.
Apprentis does not operate in isolation. The platform's readiness framework is delivered in partnership with schools, colleges, and sixth forms across the United Kingdom.
70 Year 12 students engaged
Your time, expertise, and encouragement helped make the day a huge success. The event was a fantastic opportunity for our Year 12 students to build confidence, develop their interview skills, and gain valuable career insights.
Sixth Form Operations Manager
Harris Academy Falconwood
125 Year 13 students engaged
Thank you so much for your time to support our speed networking sessions. We have a great deal of interest in apprenticeships this year, so I'm glad students were able to speak to a variety of employers and apprentices.
Higher Education & Careers Manager
The Bridge Academy
50 students engaged
It was wonderful to meet you at our Application Support Event. We really appreciate you taking the time to support LSC students. It was great to hear lots of meaningful conversations, the students really enjoyed speaking with you.
Senior Careers Advisor
Leyton Sixth Form College
Combined reach across these three engagements alone: 245 young people. Each session was requested and designed by the host institution — not by Apprentis. These schools invited Apprentis because it speaks the language of the students in their classrooms.
Apprentis delivered 29 verified engagements across 24 institutions in 2025. The full engagement record is available in the complete Impact Report documentation.
Apprentis' work and evidence base has attracted attention beyond the UK, placing the platform and its founder in global conversations about the future of apprenticeship degrees.
University of Oxford, Oxford, England · 2025
Apprentis was represented at the inaugural International Convening on Apprenticeship Degrees (ICAD 2025), hosted at the University of Oxford. The convening brought together leaders from the United States, Australia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom with a shared goal: advancing apprenticeship degrees as an effective, proven, and accessible pathway.
The convening also marked the launch of the world's first peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to Apprenticeship Degrees — a milestone signalling the field is maturing from advocacy into evidence-based academic discipline.
Iyioluwa Adesan presented on the theme of cultivating talent with data, making the case that the apprenticeship system's most persistent failure is not a shortage of willing young people, but a shortage of data on where and why they fall through the cracks.
82%
wanted degree apprenticeships but didn't know where to start
76%
feared rejection before submitting an application
92%
gained confidence after a single consultation
Note: These figures are drawn from early Apprentis waitlist and intake research and reflect a specific cohort of aspiring apprentices who engaged with Apprentis in its earliest phase.
"If an apprenticeship can take me from sixth-form to NatWest Group to an Oxford conference room showcasing Apprentis, then we have proof that this pathway can launch extraordinary careers for millions more. Young people deserve to know what is possible."
— Iyioluwa Adesan, presenting at ICAD 2025, University of Oxford
United States · 2025
Iyioluwa Adesan was featured in ApprentiScope, a US-based apprenticeship policy and workforce publication, as part of a conversation on how lived experience can improve apprenticeship policy and programmatic outcomes. The piece examined the gap between policy design and the reality experienced by apprentices on the ground.
"As someone who has completed a degree apprenticeship and is now building Apprentis, I have experienced both sides of the system: the meaningful opportunities it can unlock, and the systematic gaps that continue to hold it back."
— Iyioluwa Adesan, as featured in ApprentiScope
The Apprentis research base was independently noted by Kiko Suarez PhD, Chief Impact Officer at Reach University. Reach University co-convenes ICAD through the National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree (NCAD) and leads national public policy strategy to expand bipartisan support for apprenticeship degrees in the United States. Dr Suarez described the 82% figure as "very significant" and called publicly for greater expansion of job-embedded apprenticeship-based higher education.
National Press · United Kingdom · 2025
Iyioluwa Adesan was featured in The Telegraph as part of a national investigation into why increasing numbers of school leavers are choosing degree apprenticeships over traditional university, setting themselves up for the same careers without the student debt. The piece examined the strategic and financial case for apprenticeships against conventional graduate routes, drawing on Department for Education earnings data showing apprenticeship completers outearning graduates in engineering and construction within five years of completion.
Adesan spoke from personal experience as a NatWest digital degree apprentice, and as the founder of a company now supporting the next generation through the same system.
"My parents, like many others, viewed university as the only credible route to success because it was the only route they had been exposed to. But deep down, I knew I wasn't naturally suited to the academic, theory-heavy approach of a traditional university. I was more practical. I needed a different kind of learning environment."
— Iyioluwa Adesan, as featured in The Telegraph
"I want to help shift the perception around apprenticeships. They are not a second option, just a less visible one."
— Iyioluwa Adesan, as featured in The Telegraph
The Telegraph feature placed Apprentis and its founder at the centre of the national mainstream conversation about the future of career pathways at the moment that conversation was at its most prominent.
At ICAD 2025, the presentation argued for a systems-level approach: data flowing continuously between learners, employers, universities, schools, and training providers to personalise pathways, detect dropout risk early, and align curricula with industry demand in real time. The core argument was straightforward: apprenticeships are failing not because young people lack motivation, but because systems lack visibility. Apprentis is building that visibility layer.
Apprentis presented at Oxford. Its research was cited by the Chief Impact Officer of one of the United States' leading apprenticeship degree institutions. The conversation about the future of apprenticeships is global — and Apprentis is in that room.
Numbers do not change unless something real happens in between. The figures below are the output of a specific methodology: structured 1:1 consultations, diagnostic readiness assessments, and targeted support delivered at the moment a young person needs it most, not as a generic service but as a personalised intervention.
89%
Feel more prepared to apply
87%
Report clear next steps
91%
Would recommend Apprentis
500+
1:1 consultations delivered
The 89% preparedness figure does not come from a passive platform interaction. It comes from 500+ structured 1:1 consultations in which a young person sits with an Apprentis consultant and works through something specific: a CV that is not landing, an interview they do not know how to prepare for, an application they are too afraid to submit, a sector they cannot get clarity on.
The 87% who report clear next steps is the metric that matters most internally. Confidence is useful. Direction is actionable. A young person who leaves a consultation knowing exactly what to do next — which employer to target, which standard to apply for, or which gap in their application to close — that is a young person who applies. The 300+ confirmed outcomes begin here.
The 91% recommendation rate is drawn from post-consultation feedback forms, not from a prompted survey. It is unsolicited. Nine in ten young people say they would send a friend to Apprentis without being asked. That is the most reliable signal the platform has that something is working.
A professional impact report doesn't just report the past — it commits to the future.
25,000
Students Reached by December 2026
In 2025, Apprentis reached 10,000 young people. In 2026, we will more than double that. This target is grounded in confirmed school partnership pipeline, platform growth trajectory, and expanded event delivery.
In 2026, Apprentis is committing to 50 formal partnerships — structured relationships with named institutions that embed Apprentis into careers programming, readiness workshops, and application support cycles. Priority will be given to schools in areas of high deprivation, low historical apprenticeship take-up, and low progression to higher and degree-level pathways.
2025 was the year Apprentis bulletproofed schools. 2026 is the year we do the same for employers. Apprentis will establish its first formal employer partnerships — structured relationships with named organisations seeking to diversify their early talent pipeline, reduce time-to-hire, and engage with apprenticeship-ready candidates. The 300+ confirmed outcomes already represent placements at Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, Microsoft, and more. In 2026, they will have a formal relationship to match.
In February 2026, Apprentis launched its AI-powered intake agent — available 24/7, voice and chat enabled, GDPR-compliant. Building on this, an advanced apprenticeship matching system using skills assessment, personality profiling, and career aspirations data is in development, as is a predictive readiness monitoring system that will surface early warning signals before a learner disengages.
In 2026, Apprentis will formally launch its Alumni Network — turning 300+ confirmed outcomes into active advocates, peer mentors, and community anchors for the next generation of aspiring apprentices. Alumni will be matched to aspiring apprentices by sector and background, contributing to consultations, speaking at school events, and feeding lived experience back into platform development.
Apprentis reached 10,000 young people in 2025 without a single penny of public funding. Every consultation was free. Every tool was free. Every workshop was delivered at no cost to the schools that requested them. The levy funds training. It does not fund the journey that gets young people to the point where training becomes possible. That gap — the awareness gap, the confidence gap, the application gap — is where Apprentis operates. We are engaging directly with the Department for Education's apprenticeship reform agenda in 2026 to make a single, evidence-based argument: readiness infrastructure must be recognised and funded as a core component of the apprenticeship system.
These are commitments. Each one will be reported against in the Apprentis Impact Report 2026.
Transparency in data collection, definitions, and limitations.
This figure represents the total number of young people who received direct, expert-led exposure to apprenticeship information and pathways through Apprentis in 2025. It comprises two verified channels: school and college workshop delivery (20+ expert-led sessions across 20+ schools and colleges, with attendance recorded by host institutions) and career events and external engagements (40+ careers fairs, networking sessions, and insight days). "Reached" is defined as a young person who attended a session at which Apprentis delivered substantive content on apprenticeship readiness, pathways, or platform access. Platform sign-up is not required for inclusion in this figure.
This figure represents young people who engaged with Apprentis beyond a single touchpoint — through the platform, direct consultations, or structured support tools. "Directly supported" is defined as a user who completed at least one of: platform registration and readiness quiz completion, a 1:1 consultation session, access to a delivered tool (CV template, cover letter framework, mock interview, apprenticeship guide), or attendance at an Apprentis-run support session.
A "confirmed outcome" is defined as a verified apprenticeship start by a young person who received direct support from Apprentis. Confirmation was obtained through direct self-report with employer name, apprenticeship standard, level, and training provider supplied. All 300+ outcomes have a named employer, apprenticeship type, and level recorded. The underlying dataset includes placements across Standard Chartered Bank, Amazon, BDO UK, Bellway Homes, EY, Turner & Townsend, Rolls-Royce, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, Barclays, KPMG, Microsoft, Airbus, Bank of England, JP Morgan Chase, Forvis Mazars, UBS, and others.
A consultation is defined as a structured one-to-one session between an Apprentis consultant and an aspiring apprentice, covering readiness assessment, application support, CV and cover letter review, interview preparation, employer targeting, and sector guidance. Sessions were delivered by video call, telephone, and in person.
This figure is drawn from post-consultation and post-tool feedback collected from directly supported users. Participants were asked: "Do you feel more prepared to apply for an apprenticeship as a result of your interaction with Apprentis?" 89% responded affirmatively. Not all directly supported users completed a feedback form; this figure represents the response rate among those who did.
The 300+ confirmed outcomes represent named individuals at named employers. This is not a modelled or estimated figure. It is a headcount. Every placement in this report was a real person who came to Apprentis without an offer and left with one.
Diversity, representation, and the equity gap in UK apprenticeships.
Starts by learners from ethnic minorities have increased year-on-year, reaching 18.0% in 2024/25 - the confirmed full-year figure from the Department for Education1. Over the five years since 2019/20, Black/African/Caribbean learners saw a 42.6% increase in starts, compared to just 4.3% for white learners.
Progress is being made. But it is slow, uneven, and starting from a low base. Recent qualitative research by the National Centre for Social Research found several barriers to ethnic minority young people participating in apprenticeships — including a lack of awareness, low wages as a deterrent, and a lack of visible ethnic minority role models2.
London, where Apprentis operates primarily, has the lowest rates of apprenticeship starts, participation, and achievement of any English region. High demand. Low conversion. That is precisely the structural failure Apprentis was built to address.
| Community | National Apprenticeship Starts (2024/25) | Apprentis Users (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| All Ethnic Minorities Combined | 18.0% | 85% |
Within Apprentis users: 56% Black/African/Caribbean · 29% Asian/Asian British · 15% Mixed or other backgrounds. Source: Apprentis internal platform data, January to December 2025.
Source: DfE Apprenticeships 2024/25 full-year final data, published November 2025. Apprentis figure represents aspiring apprentices seeking readiness support, not confirmed starters. These are different populations; the contrast reflects where the readiness gap falls.
85% of Apprentis users come from communities that account for 18% of national apprenticeship starts. That ratio — nearly 5:1 — tells you two things simultaneously: demand exists, and the system is not meeting it. The barriers are informational, cultural, and structural. These are solvable problems. Apprentis is the solution.
Data sources and methodology notes.
1 Department for Education. Apprenticeships: Academic year 2024/25 (full-year final data). Published November 2025. Available at: explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/2024-25
3 Department for Education. Apprenticeships: Academic year 2025/26 (Q1 provisional data, August to October 2025). Published 29 January 2026. Available at: explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/2025-26
2 National Centre for Social Research. Barriers to apprenticeship participation among ethnic minority young people. Commissioned by the Department for Education.
All platform metrics, user demographics, outcome records, consultation logs, and feedback data are drawn from Apprentis internal systems. Data collection period: January to December 2025. Full methodology available on request.
Where the path from education to meaningful employment is clear and accessible, and where apprenticeships are recognised as a first-choice career pathway alongside traditional university routes.
Apprenticeships valued equally to university degrees
Every school equipped with modern readiness tools
Zero barriers between talent and opportunity
Building the future of apprenticeship technology
Explore how Apprentis is building the readiness infrastructure for the modern apprenticeship economy. Get in touch to discuss partnership opportunities.