Annual spending on level 2 apprenticeships has decreased by more than £200 million since the launch of the levy – as money paid out for higher levels increases. New figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request also show the only age group that has experienced a fall in apprenticeship spending over that period is 16 to 19-year-old school leavers. Experts have put the trend down to the “clunky and arduous” apprenticeship system that small and medium-sized employers (SMEs), find hard to navigate. Click here for FE Week commentary.
