Where are all the Apprenticeship Vacancies?

Last updated 01 Aug 2016

So, you’ve decided you want to be an apprentice – congratulations! The next stage is deciding where to look.

Apprenticeships by region

Geographically speaking, apprenticeships are all over the place. We know that’s not too helpful, so here’s a breakdown of apprenticeship scheme numbers across the regions of England in 2014/15, to give you an idea of the opportunities on offer in those areas:

North East - 35,220

North West - 79,310

Yorkshire and The Humber - 62,550

East Midlands - 48,060

West Midlands - 61,240

East of England - 45,790

London - 45,550

South East - 65,030

South West - 51,480

London has the most opportunities of any city, by a significant margin. Hampshire is second with 13,870 which is only about a third of what’s on offer in the capital.

Apprenticeships by sector

There are a wide variety of sectors which offer apprenticeships. In terms of what industries have the most opportunities, here’s a breakdown of apprenticeship scheme numbers for the same year:

Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care - 7,010

Arts, Media and Publishing - 1,460

Business, Administration and Law - 142,980

Construction, Planning and the Built Environment - 18,290

Education and Training - 7,450

Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies - 74,060

Health, Public Services and Care - 129,890

Information and Communication Technology - 15,660

Leisure, Travel and Tourism - 13,070

Retail and Commercial Enterprise - 89,570

Science and Mathematics - 380

You can compare the number of opportunities available with the number of vacancies – so you can see what industries are less well subscribed; it might help you decide what area to aim for.

Figures for August 2015 to April 2016

Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care - 6,300

Arts, Media and Publishing - 960

Business, Administration and Law - 106,020

Construction, Planning and the Built Environment - 18,340

Education and Training - 6,490

Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies - 62,490

Health, Public Services and Care - 95,930

Information and Communication Technology - 12,110

Leisure, Travel and Tourism - 11,370

Retail and Commercial Enterprise - 64,070

Science and Mathematics - 390

So there you have it! A lot of stats, yes, but hopefully now you have a better idea of which areas of the UK, and which industries, are the most popular. If there's an industry here that takes your fancy, it's time to brush up your CV and cover letter and get searching for that apprenticeship scheme!