Government to introduce clearing system for apprenticeships

The government has announced plans to pilot a university clearance-style system to help match young people with apprenticeship opportunities.

Under the scheme, applicants who fail to secure their top choice of apprenticeship will be directed to other similar opportunities in their local area. 

An online platform will also help candidates compare options, showing earnings and opportunities for progression after completion of training. 

The approval time for developing an apprenticeship will also be cut from 18 months to three months, as the government aims to speed up the process of creating new courses. 

These measures form part of government plans to deliver 50,000 more apprenticeships as it aims to get two thirds of young people into higher-level learning or apprenticeship-level training. 

Apprenticeship starts were up by 7.7 per cent for the latest academic year, with 142,780 starting their training between August and October 2025.

Prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Apprenticeships give young people real experience, real prospects and a real route into good careers. But for too long young people have been held back from the opportunities they need to get on in life because of outdated assumptions about how to make it into a successful career.” 

Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden explained that the pilot scheme would benefit young people and businesses by giving “those who miss out on their top choice apprenticeship a second chance by matching them with another opportunity”.

Boost in apprenticeship hiring

The government’s announcement comes as 40 per cent of businesses said they were planning to increase the number of apprentices they hire in the coming year, according to Incomes Data Research. 

The survey of 71 organisations found 22 per cent said their intake of apprentices was higher this academic year when compared to the previous 12 months. 

Three quarters (76 per cent) of businesses think apprentices are an important part of their workforce strategy, and a third see them as crucial for closing skills gaps, according to research by the accounting company Grant Thornton.

Ruth Walsh, partner and head of talent solutions at Grant Thornton UK, said apprenticeships offered a practical and impactful route for employers to develop the capabilities their organisations need to thrive. “Businesses now see apprenticeships not only as an entry-level pathway, but as a means to build advanced technical and leadership skills,” she added. 

She said it was essential employers were offered support to unlock the full potential of these programmes.