The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has called for greater urgency from the government in reforming apprenticeships funding, after the number of new automotive apprentices fell year-on-year.
According to the IMI, 7372 apprentices started in the 2023/24 academic year, a drop of 6% compared with the year prior.
Although the House of Commons Education Committee has launched an inquiry into post-secondary-school education – in part examining the state of apprenticeships – the IMI said there is a lack of clarity in how and when the government will deliver any improvements to the system.
The IMI added that apprenticeships are “critical to ensure a robust skills pipeline” for the automotive industry, which is battling a significant skills shortage. The IMI found in March 2024 that there were almost 23,000 vacancies in automotive, which was said to be worse than in any other UK sector at the time.
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