Combined Apprenticeship Programmes 2024/25

This report provides an overview of all government funded apprenticeships in Northern Ireland in 2024/25, combining information on ApprenticeshipsNI and Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) delivered through Further and Higher Education Institutions. Figures for ApprenticeshipsNI are presented as unrounded values, while HLA figures are rounded to the nearest five.

Key figures:

8,655

Apprenticeship
starts

14,825

Apprenticeship
students

4,740

Apprenticeship students qualified

1. Starts

Figure 1.1: 8,655 new starts on Apprenticeship programmes in NI in 2024/25

Apprenticeship starts in 2024/25 across the three programmes: ApprenticeshipshipsNI (AppsNI), HLAs at Further Education (FE) Institutions and HLAs at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This shows a circle with 7,309 AppsNI starts (84%), plus a circle with 955 HLA FE starts (11%), plus a circle with 390 HLA HEI starts (4%) which is equal to 8,655 Apprenticeship starts.

Note: The total number of apprenticeship starts has been calculated using unrounded data and then rounded to the nearest five.

Figure 1.2: AppsNI account for the vast majority of apprenticeship starts in Northern Ireland, 2024/25

Number of Apprenticeships starts by Level, 2024/25

2. Participants

Figure 2.1: 14,825 Apprenticeship participants in NI in 2024/25

Apprenticeship programme participants for AppsNI, HLAs FE and HLAs HEIs in 2024/25 This shows a circle with 11,586 AppsNI participants (78%), plus a circle with 2,120 HLA FE participants (14%), plus a circle with 1,120 HLA HEI participants (8%) which is equal to 14,825 Apprenticeship participants.

Note: The total number of apprenticeship participants has been calculated using unrounded data and then rounded to the nearest five.

Figure 2.2: Mid Ulster tops apprenticeship rates relative to population

Map

Participant rate for apprenticeship programmes in NI LGDs per 100,000 people aged 16–64, academic year 2024/25
(click on the map for the LGD name and participation rate)

Download map:
Figure 2.2 Map (PNG)
Map data

Participant rate for apprenticeship programmes in NI LGDs per 100,000 people aged 16–64, academic year 2024/25

Local Government District Participant Rates per 100,000
Antrim and Newtownabbey 1,112
Ards and North Down 1,016
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon 1,422
Belfast 753
Causeway Coast and Glens 1,219
Derry City and Strabane 1,329
Fermanagh and Omagh 1,794
Lisburn and Castlereagh 981
Mid and East Antrim 1,201
Mid Ulster 1,889
Newry, Mourne and Down 1,508
Download map:
Figure 2.2 Map (PNG)

Figure 2.3: Participant rate for apprenticeship programmes in NI LGDs per 100,000 people aged 16–64, academic year 2024/25

Figure 2.4: Seven in Ten apprentices are male

Distribution of apprenticeship participants by sex, 2024/25

This infographic shows that 72% of apprenticeship participants were male, while 28% were female.

Figure 2.5: ApprenticeshipsNI have the lowest female representation

Participant breakdown by sex across Apprenticeship programmes, 2024/25

Table 2.6: Top five subject areas for each apprenticeship programme, 2024/25

ApprenticeshipsNI
ApprenticeshipsNI participants by the five most popular subject areas, 2024/25
Subject Occupancy
Electrotechnical 1,912
Health and Social Care 1,194
Engineering 1,158
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair 965
Construction 955

HLAs in FE
HLA in FE participants by the five most popular subject areas, 2024/25
Subject Participants
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 775
Business, Administration and Law 480
Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 345
Information and Communication Technology 270
Health, Public Services and Care 120

HLAs in HEIs
HLA in HEI participants by the five most popular subject areas, 2024/25
Subject Participants
Business and Management 470
Engineering and Technology 240
Computing 220
Architecture, Building and Planning 150
Physical Sciences 35

3. Achievements

Table 3.1: 4,740 students achieved an apprenticeship qualification

Number of full achievers by apprenticeship programme, 2024/25
Apprenticeship programme No. of students with full achievement
AppsNI Level 2 1,896
AppsNI Level 3* 2,044
HLAs FE 640
HLAs HEIs 160
Total 4,740

*Level 3 Full Framework includes those on Level 2/3 and Level 3

4. Notes

The three apprenticeship programmes reported on are:

  1. ApprenticeshipsNI: Level 2, Level 2/3 and Level 3. Source: Trainee and Apprentice Management System. Unrounded data.

  2. Higher Level Apprenticeships in Further Education: Level 4, Level 5, Level 6 and Level 7. Source: FE College Learner Management System (Consolidated data return) and CAFRE: College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise. Rounded data.

  3. Higher Level Apprenticeships in Higher Education: Level 6 and Level 7. Source: Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA). Rounded data.

  • Excel/open data tables are available here.

  • Data Revisions: ApprenticeshipsNI data are subject to revision as more reliable and up-to-date information becomes available. Consequently, figures in this publication’s accompanying tables may differ from those reported in earlier publications. Users should refer to the latest publication for the most current data.

  • Rounding

    Higher Level Apprenticeship data are rounded to the nearest 5, with values of 0, 1 or 2 rounded down to 0 for this publication. Percentages are calculated using unrounded data.

    The aggregated total - derived from three apprenticeship publication sources - has been calculated using unrounded data and then rounded to the nearest 5.

  • 2024 mid-year population estimates for Northern Ireland have been used to create a rate per 100,000 population, aged 16 to 64 years.

  • Starts refer to individuals in the first year of an apprenticeship programme.

  • The number of participants on ApprenticeshipsNI is termed occupancy and relates to those on programme at 31st October 2024. Higher Level Apprenticeship participants refer to the number of students who were enrolled on an HLA programme in 2024/25.

  • Local Government District classifications are derived from the student’s home postcode and apply only to records with a valid Northern Ireland postcode. In contrast, the Northern Ireland total covers all Apprenticeships, including those without a valid NI postcode.

  • The apprenticeship programmes reported on in this publication are supported through government funding.