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<p>Apprenticeships provide people with a unique opportunity to develop the knowledge
and skills needed to start, enhance, or change careers. The department currently offers
high-quality apprenticeship routes into more than 660 occupations and is providing
£2.7 billion of funding by the 2024/25 financial year to support employers to take
up these opportunities. In the 2021/22 academic year, 349,000 people started an apprenticeship,
and of these, 271,600 were aged 19 or over. In addition, 92% of apprentices go into
further work or training, with 90% in sustained employment upon completion of their
programme.</p><p>We provide additional financial support for employers and training
providers who take on apprentices aged under 19, those aged 19 to 24 who have an Education,
Health and Care (EHC) plan, and those who have been in care. In each case, the employer
and provider receive a payment of £1,000 to help meet the cost of additional support
that these apprentices may require. For those apprentices under the age of 25 who
have been in local authority care, they are entitled to a care leavers bursary of
£1,000, which will rise to £3,000 from 1 August 2023.</p><p>The department is taking
a range of actions to encourage uptake of apprenticeships among adults. This includes
UCAS expanding their service from this autumn so that those exploring higher education
routes can see more personalised options, including degree apprenticeships. From 2024,
students will then be able to apply for apprenticeships alongside degrees.</p><p>In
addition, we are promoting apprenticeships to older adults looking to return to the
labour market or to retrain. These opportunities, called returnerships, bring together
apprenticeships, skills bootcamps, and sector-based work academies. Returnerships
will raise awareness of these pathways, providing a clear route back into work and
encouraging employers to hire older workers.</p>
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