An accessible overview of apprenticeship starts and achievements in England by employer sector and size, highlighting trends in enterprise participation and sectoral variation.
The following summary explains the distribution of apprenticeship starts and matched achievements across employers in England for the academic year. It draws on linked administrative records to show how starts are split by enterprise size and industry sector, and it outlines which areas have grown or declined since the prior year.
This narrative keeps the original statistics intact while reorganising the material to make patterns and implications clearer.
The analysis considers only learners aged 16 and over and uses matched records from education returns and business registers to allocate starts to employer types.
Where relevant, the text emphasises the share of starts with small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the concentration among large employers, and the sectoral variation that shapes the national picture.
Overall picture: participation and headline rates
In the most recent academic year the number of apprenticeship starts (16+) in England rose modestly.
The total count of enterprises that had at least one matched apprenticeship start increased slightly to 76,650, an uplift of about 1% compared with the previous year. For context, the proportion of starts occurring with SMEs (0-249 employees) remained at 37%, unchanged from the prior year, while large employers (250+ employees) accounted for the majority of starts.
Measured per 1,000 enterprises, the rate of businesses with at least one apprentice start stayed stable at 32 per 1,000 enterprises. These summary metrics show small year-on-year movement but continued growth in absolute starts compared with the beginning of the multi-year series.
Apprenticeship starts by enterprise size
The distribution of apprenticeship begins differs markedly by employer size. In the latest year, 61% of apprenticeship starts were with large employers (250+ employees), 12% with medium employers (50–249 employees), and 25% with small employers (fewer than 50 employees). A small share (about 2%) had no size information available. Although most employers with at least one start are small, large employers deliver the majority of starts due to their greater workforce base.
Year-on-year changes by size
Compared with the previous year, starts with small employers rose by around 1% (about 890 additional starts) to roughly 84,770. Starts at medium employers increased by about 2% (an uplift of roughly 1,030 starts) to near 42,300. Starts with large employers also grew by about 1% (around 1,160 starts), reaching approximately 206,760 — the highest level recorded in the series.
Sectoral patterns and notable shifts
Most industry sectors experienced increases in apprenticeship starts, though a few sectors declined. The sectors contributing the largest shares of starts were Human health and social work activities (about 24% of starts), Wholesale and retail trade (10%), and Education (9%). This concentration reflects demand for vocational training in care, retail, and teaching-support roles.
Biggest proportional gains and falls
On a proportional basis, the fastest-growing sectors since the prior year included Production (up roughly 17%), Other service activities (up about 10%), and Agriculture, forestry and fishing (up about 8%). Conversely, sectors with the largest proportional declines included Information and communication (down about 10%), Real estate activities (down about 8%), and Accommodation and food service activities (down about 6%).
Employer size within sectors and learner profiles
The mix of employer sizes supplying apprenticeships varies substantially by sector. For instance, in Agriculture, forestry and fishing, around 84% of starts were with SMEs, while Public administration and defence had virtually all starts with large employers. These contrasts illustrate how industry structure — the prevalence of small businesses versus larger organisations — shapes apprenticeship delivery.
Learner characteristics by sector
Demographic patterns also differ across sectors. Female apprentices represented the bulk of starts in Human health and social work and Education, while male apprentices dominated in Construction and Manufacturing. Age profiles vary too: many sectors have most starts from learners aged 25 and over, whereas Other service activities, Agriculture and Construction include higher proportions of apprentices under 19.
Enterprise participation and start rates
Although most individual employers offering apprenticeships are small — around 71% of employers with at least one start had fewer than 50 employees — large employers account for a disproportionate share of starts. Only about 11% of employers are large, yet they are responsible for around 61% of apprenticeship starts. Sector-level rates of enterprises with at least one start were highest in Health, Education, and Public administration and defence.
Interpreting the data
The data show a broadly stable apprenticeship landscape with modest growth in absolute starts and small shifts between employer sizes and sectors. For stakeholders, these patterns underline where employer engagement remains strong and where targeted efforts might support greater SME participation or sectoral rebalancing.
If you need further details about the dataset or specific enquiries, contact the Skills Policy Analysis team or the Department for Education public enquiries channels for assistance.
