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Good news for National Apprenticeship Week – eight in ten manufacturers plan to recruit an apprentice this year

Published:  16 March, 2016

A record number of manufacturers are looking to recruit apprentices this year, according to a new survey by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation. Almost eight in ten (79%) plan to recruit a manufacturing and engineering apprentice, while 45% intend to recruit an apprentice for other roles, such as IT, marketing and management.

The good news comes just ahead of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week (14th to 18th March), designed to raise awareness about the value of apprenticeships and the range of opportunities available to young people today.

Manufacturing apprenticeships – the key facts:

• Over 74,000 young people took up manufacturing and engineering apprenticeships in 2014/15

• Manufacturing and engineering accounted for 15% of all apprenticeships started last year

• Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships made up 40% of manufacturing and apprenticeship starts in 2014/15

• The average basic hourly pay for engineering and manufacturing apprentices is £6.50 per hour, almost double the minimum wage for apprentices (£3.30)

• At 31%, more apprentices in engineering and manufacturing receive bonuses than in other industries

• Young people can take a free online Apprenticeship Matching Quiz to help them find the right manufacturing and engineering apprenticeship for their interests and skills.

Verity O’Keefe, senior employment and skills policy adviser at EEF, says: “Manufacturers have a long track record of championing high quality apprenticeships and ensuring that young people enjoy every opportunity to start a satisfying and well-paid career.

“Despite this, our strength in this field often flies under the radar and this could mean both young people and their would-be employers losing out. Raising awareness is key - almost three quarters of manufacturers say that greater awareness of apprenticeships would encourage more young people into manufacturing[4]. National Apprenticeship Week has a vital role to play in this and our sector is backing it every step of the way.”

To find out more about apprenticeships in manufacturing and engineering, visit www.eef.org.uk/apprentices.

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