Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the (a) economic and (b) employment benefits of each apprenticeship level; and if he will make a statement.

Research published in 2015 demonstrates the high level of return to investment delivered by the apprenticeship programme. Apprenticeships at level 2 and level 3 deliver £26 and £28 of economic benefits respectively for each pound of government investment. This can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/435166/bis_15_323_Measuring_the_Net_Present_Value_of_Further_Education_in_England.pdf.

In October 2018, we published our Further Education: Outcome Based Success publication 2010/11 – 2015/16, which covers the destinations (into employment and learning), earnings and the progression of learners: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-outcome-based-success-measures.

The publication reveals the average earnings, by level, of those who achieved an apprenticeship in 2015/16, one year after completion:

• Level 2: £15,700
• Level 3: £17,700
• Level 4: £22,100
• Level 5: £25,100

Over the past few years we have introduced major reforms to apprenticeships. As the system is still adapting, it is too early to know the full economic and earnings benefits that these changes will bring.

Our Apprenticeships Reform Programme Benefits Realisation Strategy, published in March 2017, sets out a broad range of success measures for the programme. We publish annual progress updates, of which the most recent can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707896/Progress_report_on_the_Apprenticeships_Reform_Programme_May_2018.pdf.

We will be publishing our 2019 update shortly.