UK Foundation Apprenticeship Scheme Records 160 Starts in First Eight Months

VoS NEWS DESK | EDUCATION | 21 September 2026

Foundation apprenticeships are designed to provide young people with paid employment alongside structured training, creating an alternative route into skilled work. The programme is part of wider changes to England's technical and vocational education system.

The latest official statistics from the Department for Education show that 160 foundation apprenticeships had been recorded by April 2026. Overall, England recorded 308,770 apprenticeship starts across all age groups during the same period, an increase of 8.7% compared with 284,190 in the corresponding period of the previous academic year.

Foundation apprenticeships are a relatively new programme and are being introduced gradually. The government's broader ambition is to establish the programme as a route into employment and further training for young people who may not follow the traditional academic pathway.

The latest figures show that apprenticeships continue to attract learners across a wide range of ages. Of the 308,770 apprenticeship starts recorded between August 2025 and April 2026, 63,530 were learners aged under 19, representing 20.6% of the total. A further 83,570 starts involved people aged 19 to 24, while 161,670 were among those aged 25 and over.

The data also show that higher-level apprenticeships have continued to grow. There were 126,660 higher apprenticeship starts, an increase of 13.6% from the previous year. These included programmes at Levels 4 through 7, covering qualifications ranging from higher technical education to postgraduate-level study.

Business, administration and law accounted for the largest number of apprenticeship starts by subject area, with 95,980 starts recorded during the period. Construction, planning and the built environment recorded 23,900 starts, representing a 5% increase compared with the same period a year earlier.

The foundation apprenticeship figures have nevertheless attracted attention because of the difference between the number of starts recorded so far and the government's longer-term ambition for the programme. The Guardian reported that the government has an ambition of 30,000 foundation apprenticeship starts by the end of the current parliamentary term.

The report also highlighted concerns about the wider apprenticeship system and the number of young people entering vocational training. A Fabian Society analysis cited by the newspaper argued that the system can be difficult for young people and employers to navigate.

The Department for Work and Pensions said the government remained committed to increasing apprenticeship opportunities for young people. It pointed to plans for 50,000 additional apprenticeships for young people and an incentive of up to £2,000 for small and medium-sized businesses taking on apprentices aged 16 to 24.

The government has also linked apprenticeship reform to its wider youth-employment strategy. According to the Department for Work and Pensions, a £2.5 billion investment programme is intended to create employment and training opportunities for young people.

The latest apprenticeship statistics also provide a broader picture of participation in England. Overall learner participation reached 735,500, up 4.6% from the same period a year earlier, while apprenticeship achievements increased by 14% to 146,210.

The figures are provisional for the 2025/26 academic year because they cover August 2025 to April 2026. The Department for Education says the next update, due in November 2026, will cover the full and finalised academic year from August 2025 to July 2026.

The development comes as education and employment authorities continue to examine how technical qualifications, apprenticeships and other post-16 routes can connect young people with employers.

Foundation apprenticeships are intended to combine workplace experience with training, potentially allowing participants to gain practical skills while remaining within a structured education and employment pathway.

The government is also awaiting recommendations from a review led by Alan Milburn examining youth worklessness. The review is expected to consider education, employment and welfare measures affecting young people.

For schools, colleges and employers, the development means that foundation apprenticeships are becoming part of the expanding range of post-16 options available alongside A-levels, T-levels, higher education and conventional apprenticeships.

VoS STRATEGIC INSIGHT

The latest figures show that 160 foundation apprenticeship starts were recorded between August 2025 and April 2026, while total apprenticeship starts across England reached 308,770.

The foundation programme remains at an early stage, with the government seeking to expand participation over the coming years. At the same time, the wider apprenticeship system is experiencing growth in overall starts and higher-level programmes.

The next full-year statistics will provide a clearer picture of how foundation apprenticeships developed throughout the entire 2025/26 academic year.

Source: UK Department for Education; Department for Work and Pensions; The Guardian.