Development crisis | Apprenticeships fall by a third, casting doubt on the Apprenticeship Levy scheme

The number of people starting apprenticeships in the United Kingdom has plunged by more than a third since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017.

The data, which was published in a recent report from the CIPD, shows a staggering 49% decline in apprenticeships within SMEs.

This concerning trend not only hampers the prospects of the younger generation but also casts a shadow over the UK's economic and social mobility.

The Apprenticeship Levy mandates that businesses with a wage bill exceeding £3million annually contribute 0.5% of their payroll costs to a training fund, which they can use for specified training schemes.