Welcoming new initiatives
EngineeringUK welcomes new government initiatives which include SME support for apprenticeships and a package for boosting women in tech.
Greater incentives for SMEs to take on apprentices
This week the government has announced a major employment drive to help unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships for the next generation.
It comes as government points to almost one million young people not earning or learning and apprenticeship starts amongst young people declining 40% in the last decade. This is also reflected in the engineering and technology sector, where the proportion of apprenticeships starts by people under 19 dropped from 41% to 33% between 2017/8 and 2024/25
Included in the package is an incentive of £2,000 for each new apprentice aged 16 to 24 taken on by an SME. As part of wider reforms, this is designed to drive progress towards targets of creating 50,000 more apprenticeships. Further reforms to the Growth and Skills Levy are proposed to prioritise young apprentices, secure value for money and give school and college leavers more opportunities to build careers in cutting edge industries.
Beatrice Barleon, our Head of Policy and Public Affairs, comments “we welcome the additional incentives announced for all businesses. In particular, the £2,000 for SMEs when they take on an apprentice aged 16 to 24. Providing greater incentives for SMEs to take on young apprentices is something we called for in our Autumn budget response.
“This news is especially welcomed, given the decline in lower-level apprenticeships that we have observed over the last few years.
“We continue to call for this extra funding for SMEs to be supported by a wider package of support for SMEs. This also aligns with the Edge Foundation’s ‘Apprenticeship Works’ campaign which we are supporting”.
Discover the Apprenticeships Work campaign
Package to boost female participation in tech
Women at every stage of their careers are set to benefit from new government measures, aimed at boosting female participation in tech.
The package includes paid tech placements and support for those returning after career breaks to re-enter tech jobs. In addition, a new TechFirst Girls Competition will be delivered to thousands across the country later this year, to get more girls considering a future in tech from their childhood.
The jobs programme will help 300 women advance their careers and unlock tech opportunities in SMEs through paid work placements, backed by a new £4 million TechFirst Women’s Programme.
Beatrice comments, “we’re pleased to see this focus on getting more young women into the technology sector to address the gender imbalances that currently exist in this sector.
“Our analysis shows that women make up only 17% of the current engineering and technology workforce. Tackling this imbalance needs to start from an early stage at school.”
“EngineeringUK has been working with the Gender Pathways Collective to identify what needs to be done to ensure that more girls enjoy and take up the STEM subjects that allow them to enter these careers.
“We believe there needs to be changes to the curriculum, allowing more space for practical hands-on activities. We also want to see stronger curriculum links to the real world and real jobs, as well as wider changes to how STEM is being taught in schools.”
We welcome the additional incentives announced for all businesses. In particular, the £2,000 for SMEs when they take on an apprentice aged 16-24. Providing greater incentives for SMEs to take on young apprentices is something we called for in our Autumn budget response.
This news is especially welcomed, given the decline in lower-level apprenticeships that we have observed over the last few years.
— Beatrice Barleon, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, EngineeringUK
