Apprenticeship diversity statistics describe different stages of a programme: starting, participating and completing. This guide brings together official England data and EngineeringUK’s subject analysis, keeping complete-year results separate from provisional in-year figures. The data measures representation; it does not by itself show why differences occur.
Key facts and figures
- 353,500 apprenticeship programme starts in England in the complete 2024/25 academic year, up 4.1% from 339,580.
- 308,770 starts in August 2025–April 2026, provisional: 8.7% above the same nine months a year earlier.
- 20% of engineering and technology-related starts were female in 2024/25, according to EngineeringUK’s analysis.
- 18.0% of 2024/25 starters with recorded ethnicity were from ethnic minorities excluding white minorities.
- 62,880 starts by learners from ethnic minorities excluding white minorities in 2024/25.
- 16.7% of the 2024/25 cohort with known learning difficulty/disability status reported LLDD.
- 56,810 starts by learners recorded with a learning difficulty or disability in 2024/25.
- 140,730 higher apprenticeship starts at Level 4 or above in 2024/25, approximately 40% of all starts.
Reviewed 15 October 2026. The complete-year comparison is 2024/25; the latest release, published 16 July 2026, covers August 2025–April 2026. Provisional part-year totals are compared with the same months, not a complete year. Starts count apprenticeship programmes rather than necessarily unique people.
What percentage of UK apprentices are from ethnic minority backgrounds?
The official 2024/25 release records 62,880 starts by learners from ethnic minorities excluding white minorities, or 18.0% of starts with recorded ethnicity. The corresponding prior-year share was 16.5%. The latest provisional August 2025–April 2026 release records 59,240 such starts, or 19.5%, compared with 17.4% in the same months a year earlier.
Ethnicity percentages depend on the categories and treatment of unknown records. They should not be explained as interchangeable measures of “white minorities” without checking the underlying data. This page uses the education statistics release consistently. The following older breakdown is explicitly retained for 2023/24.
| Ethnic group | Share of apprenticeship starts | Data period / note |
|---|---|---|
| White | 83.5% | England, 2023/24; recorded ethnicity |
| Asian | 7.4% | England, 2023/24 |
| Black | 4.5% | England, 2023/24 |
| Mixed | 3.6% | England, 2023/24 |
| Other | 1.0% | England, 2023/24 |
Representation among starts is a different measure from participation, completion or the employment outcomes of former apprentices. Education and training are devolved: these figures do not describe the whole UK.
How many apprentices are women, and why are apprenticeships still gender-segregated?
Overall participation can conceal differences between subjects. EngineeringUK reports that female starts accounted for 20% of engineering and technology-related apprenticeships in England in 2024/25. The number of female starts in these subjects was 94% higher than in 2018/19; that is growth in the count, not a 94-percentage-point change in the female share.
Engineering and technology-related subjects accounted for 102,280 starts, or 29% of all starts, under EngineeringUK’s grouping. That grouping spans more than the official Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies subject area, so the two totals should not be substituted for one another.
What proportion of apprentices have a learning difficulty or disability?
The 2024/25 release records 56,810 starts by learners with a reported learning difficulty or disability, up from 53,150 in 2023/24. The published share of the cohort with known status was 16.7%, compared with 16.2% the previous year.
In the provisional August 2025–April 2026 data, there were 49,650 LLDD starts and the published share was also 16.7%. LLDD is a recorded learner characteristic, not a clinical diagnosis or a direct measure of the Equality Act disability definition. Counts of starts also differ from counts of individual learners.
Is diversity improving in engineering and technology apprenticeships?
EngineeringUK’s analysis shows improving representation on some measures while women remain a minority of starts. Female starts made up 20% in 2024/25. Its published ethnicity comparison records 16% of engineering and technology-related starts from UK minority ethnic backgrounds in 2023/24, against 8% in 2018/19.
The sex and ethnicity comparisons in that briefing do not use the same latest academic year. Keeping their dates visible avoids turning an earlier comparison into a 2024/25 result. Recruitment, retention and completion are separate questions; an increase in starts alone cannot establish equality of outcomes.
How is the shift to higher levels changing who reaches an apprenticeship?
Higher apprenticeships accounted for 140,730 starts in England in 2024/25, approximately 40% of all starts. Level 6 and 7 starts totalled 60,350, or 17.1%. These routes should be distinguished from entry-level apprenticeships when comparing access.
Under-19s accounted for 74,990 starts, or 21.2%, in 2024/25. The provisional August 2025–April 2026 figures put their share at 20.6%. Differences in age, subject and level can affect the overall demographic profile; the headline percentages do not identify the causes of those differences.
How often is apprenticeship diversity data updated?
The latest publication available at this review is the 16 July 2026 release covering August 2025–April 2026. The publisher states that the next update, in November 2026, will cover the full August 2025–July 2026 academic year.
Use the release calendar rather than assuming a legally guaranteed publication date. Keep complete-year and provisional part-year measures separate. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own apprenticeship statistics with their own definitions.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of apprentices are from ethnic minority backgrounds?
In England in 2024/25, 18.0% of starts with recorded ethnicity were by learners from ethnic minorities excluding white minorities: 62,880 starts. The provisional share for August 2025–April 2026 was 19.5%.
How many apprentices are women, and why are subjects unevenly represented?
The proportion varies by subject. EngineeringUK reports a 20% female share of engineering and technology-related starts in 2024/25. Overall totals cannot describe every occupation or training route.
What proportion have a learning difficulty or disability?
The official 2024/25 release records 56,810 LLDD starts, or 16.7% of the cohort with known status. This is not the same as the legal definition of disability.
How often is apprenticeship diversity data updated?
Official releases include provisional in-year data and complete academic-year results. As of 15 October 2026, the latest update covers August 2025–April 2026; the full-year update is scheduled for November 2026.
Are apprenticeships in England getting more diverse?
Some recorded shares have increased, including ethnic minority and LLDD starts. That describes representation in the published data; it does not by itself prove equal access, completion or employment outcomes.
Related guides
- Ethnicity Pay Gap Statistics UK
- Disability Employment Gap Statistics UK: Rates, Pay Gap & Trends
- Women in Leadership Statistics UK
- Neurodiversity Statistics UK: Autism, ADHD & Dyslexia Prevalence and Employment
- Why Diversity Matters in the Workplace: A UK Guide
Sources & references
- Official apprenticeship statistics: complete academic year 2024/25
- Official apprenticeship statistics: August 2025–April 2026, published July 2026
- EngineeringUK: apprenticeship pathways into engineering, 2024/25
- GOV.UK Ethnicity facts and figures: apprenticeship starts
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Mark writes about equality, diversity and inclusion, UK workplace compliance and accredited online training for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Training, part of Online CPD Academy.