Thousands of extra apprenticeships and work placements for young people are being promised under new Jobs Plans for professional and business services and construction, the government has announced. According to the Department for Business and Trade, firms in professional and business services have committed to taking on 22,400 new apprentices aged under 25 each year for the next five years, alongside a 20% rise in work experience places.

Key points

  • Apprenticeships — 22,400 new under-25 places a year in accountancy, law, consulting and related fields
  • Construction — 40,000 placements annually, part of an ambition for 100,000 job opportunities a year
  • Defence — at least 14,000 people a year supported through apprenticeship programmes by 2035
  • Local say — mayors and local skills partnerships will help shape training around regional needs

The construction placements form part of an industry ambition, previously announced, to create 100,000 job opportunities a year. The plans come ahead of the final Milburn review into young people and employment and are intended to help those not in education, employment or training.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the plans would open up more apprenticeships, training and vocational routes. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said too many young people had been locked out of opportunities and that the commitments would create clear pathways into good jobs.

Further Jobs Plans for digital and technologies and for defence are due later this week. The government says local partnerships, including mayors and employers, will be at the heart of tackling skills shortages.

Editor's comment

What it means in practice

For school leavers and their parents, the practical question is where to find these places and how to apply. The numbers are national ambitions rather than individual entitlements, so the effect on any one family depends on what local employers and colleges actually offer.

  • Look locally — careers advisers and local skills partnerships should have details of placements as they come forward.
  • Check the fine print — ask employers whether a placement is an apprenticeship with a recognised qualification or shorter work experience.
  • Watch for more — digital and defence plans are expected this week and may add further routes.