Higher Level Apprenticeships (Higher Education), Academic Year 2023/24

1. Key Facts and Figures 2024/25

Key points:

Starts

390

Up 14% from 2023/24

Participants

1,120

Up 26% from 2023/24

Qualifiers

160

Down 1% from 2023/24

What are starts?

Individuals who started an HLA programme at a NI HEI in the stated academic year.

What are participants?

All individuals enrolled on an HLA programme at a NI HEI in the stated academic year.

What are qualifiers?

Individuals who obtained an HLA qualification at a NI HEI in the stated academic year.

Key facts and figures:

HLA starts in NI HEIs rose in academic year 2024/25, with 390 students joining an HLA programme. This was an increase of 14% (50) from 2023/24.
In 2024/25, more males (235) than females (155) began an HLA programme in higher education institutions.
There were 1,120 Higher Level Apprenticeship students in HEIs in 2024/25, an annual increase of 26%.
Business and management remained the most popular subject area with HLA HEI students, accounting for 42% (470) of all HLAs in 2024/25.
In 2024/25, 160 Higher Level Apprenticeship students successfully qualified at NI HEIs.

2. About this report

This report presents analysis of the seventh publication of Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Northern Ireland. HLA provision commenced in Northern Ireland HEIs in 2018/19. The HLAs reported on in this publication are funded through government training programmes. The report details key information on level 6 and 7 HLA HEI programmes and characteristics of HLA students up to academic year 2024/25.

3. Starts

Starts

Higher Level Apprenticeship starts in NI Higher Education Institutions rose in academic year 2024/25, with 390 students joining an HLA programme. This was an increase of 14% (50) from 2023/24.

With the exception of a dip in 2020/21, during the COVID-19 pandemic, HLA starts in HEIs have shown steady growth. This demonstrates the programme is gaining in momentum as a route to a university accredited degree and a professional qualification, while also providing on-the-job experience.

Figure 3.1: HLAs in HE increase in 2024/25

HLA HEI starts for academic years 2018/19 to 2024/25

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Figure 3.1.CSV (1kB)

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Level and Providers

During the 2024/25 academic year, Level 6 and Level 7 HLAs were delivered at Ulster University (UU) and Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). Level 6 programmes made up the majority of provision, accounting for 87% (340) of all HLA starts. UU recorded the highest share of new HLA starts, with 345, representing (88%) of new HLA students during 2024/25.

Table 3.1: Greater uptake in Level 6 HLAs

Number of HLA starts by HEIs and HLA level, 2024/25

HLA Level	Queen’s University Belfast	Ulster University	Total
Level 6	20	320	340
Level 7	25	25	50
Total	45	345	390

Sex of Starts

In 2024/25, more males (235) than females (155) began an HLA programme in higher education. New starts increased for both groups compared with 2023/24 with female starts rising by 28% and male starts by 7%. This reflects the continuing trend of males accounting for the majority of HLA starts.

Figure 3.2: The trend of higher male intake in HLAs continues in 2024/25

HLA HEI starts by sex for academic years 2018/19 to 2024/25

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Figure 3.2.CSV (1kB)

Figure 3.2.XLSX (7kB)

Multiple Deprivation Measure

In 2024/25, Northern Ireland domiciled HLA HEI starts were lowest among students from the most deprived areas, with just 35 starts recorded in Quintile 1. Quintile 4 reported the highest number of HLA starts (120).

Figure 3.3: Lower uptake of higher education institution HLA starts in the most deprived areas

HLA HEI starts by Deprivation Quintile, academic year 2024/25

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Figure 3.3.CSV (1kB)

Figure 3.3.XLSX (7kB)

Subject Areas

Business and management remained the most popular subject area for HLA HEI starts in 2024/25, recording 170 new starts. This subject area appeals to both females (80 starts) and males (90 starts).

Figure 3.4: Business and management is the most popular subject area

HLA HEI starts by subject area, academic year 2024/25

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Figure 3.4.CSV (1kB)

Figure 3.4.XLSX (7kB)

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)

In 2024/25, 55% of new HLA starts (215 students) had enrolled in programmes within broad STEM disciplines. When focusing specifically on narrow STEM subjects, this reduced to 41% of HLA starts (160 students), with males accounting for two-thirds (66%) of these.

Figure 3.5: Greater male representation in STEM subjects in 2024/25

HLA HEI starts by sex and STEM indicator, 2024/25

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Figure 3.5.CSV (1kB)

Figure 3.5.XLSX (7kB)

Note: Narrow STEM is a subset of Broad STEM.

4. Participants

Participants

Participants are all individuals enrolled on an HLA at an HEI in NI, covering students in any year of an HLA HEI programme.

Academic year 2024/25, reported 1,120 Higher Level Apprenticeship students at HEIs, an annual increase of 26%. In total there were 390 starts and 735 students who had progressed to second year or further in their HLA programme.

Figure 4.1: Student HLA HEI participants increase by 26% in 2024/25

The number of HLA students in NI HEIs, academic years 2018/19 to 2024/25.

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Figure 4.1.CSV (1kB)

Figure 4.1.XLSX (7kB)

Subject Areas

Business and management remained the most popular subject area with HLA HEI students; accounting for 42% (470) of all HLAs in 2024/25. This subject recorded an similar number of female and male participants, with 230 females and 240 males. Engineering and technology, Computing and Architecture, building and planning all recorded notably higher numbers of males than females.

Figure 4.2 Business and management is the most popular subject area with both males and females

The number of HLA HEI students by subject area and sex for academic year 2024/25.

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Figure 4.2.CSV (1kB)

Figure 4.2.XLSX (7kB)

Mid Ulster (LGD) recorded the highest HLA HEI participation rate of NI domiciled students

Mid Ulster reported the highest particitipation rate (139) per 100,000 persons aged 16-64 of NI domiciled Higher Level Apprenticeship students among the NI LGDs in academic year 2024/25.

Map

HLA HEI participation rate per 100,000 people aged 16-64 by LGD, academic year 2024/25
(click on the map for the LGD name and participation rate)

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Figure 4.3.CSV (1kB)

Figure 4.3.XLSX (8kB)

Figure 4.3.PNG

Map data

HLA HEI participation rate per 100,000 people aged 16-64 by LGD, academic year 2024/25

Local Government District	Population	Participants	Participation rate
Antrim and Newtownabbey	92,592	85	92
Ards and North Down	97,888	65	66
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon	137,107	155	113
Belfast	233,089	140	60
Causeway Coast and Glens	85,736	90	105
Derry City and Strabane	94,814	70	74
Fermanagh and Omagh	69,942	40	57
Lisburn and Castlereagh	93,285	90	96
Mid and East Antrim	85,381	100	117
Mid Ulster	93,706	130	139
Newry, Mourne and Down	110,439	100	91

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Figure 4.3.CSV (1kB)

Figure 4.3.XLSX (8kB)

Figure 4.3.PNG

5. Performance

Qualifiers

In 2024/25, 160 students successfully obtained their Higher Level Apprenticeship qualification at NI HEIs, this was a decrease of 1% from 2023/24. A higher proportion of qualifiers were male; 64% (105) males and 36% (55) females.

Subject Areas

In 2024/25, the HLA subject area to report the highest number of qualified students was Business and management. This subject area recorded 60 students; 25 females and 35 males.

Figure 5.1: Business and management was the subject area to record the highest number of qualifiers

HLA HEI qualifiers by subject area, academic year 2024/25

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Figure 5.1.CSV (1kB)

Figure 5.1.XLSX (7kB)

6. Further Information and Contact Details

Excel/Open/CSV Tables

Detailed Excel/Open/CSV Data tables are available here.

Higher Level Apprenticeships offer the opportunity to gain quality training and a recognised higher qualification while in paid employment. To learn more about the DfE funded HLAs offered see Higher Level Apprenticeships. The length of a Higher Level Apprenticeship will vary depending on the programme and when the student joined the HLA programme.

For information regarding ‘Technical Notes’ on the methodology used to produce the statistics and information regarding definitions of terms within the report, please see the document: Technical Notes and Definitions.

Contact Details

For further details on any of these statistics, or to provide feedback, contact: sinead.madine@economy-ni.gov.uk (Tel: 028 90 257736) or seana.mcilwaine@economy-ni.gov.uk (Tel: 028 90 257708).

This publication is produced by Youth Training Statistics and Research Branch, Analytical Services Division, Department for the Economy.

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

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