Huge Rise in Demand for ICT Apprenticeships

More employers have been called to get on board with apprenticeship schemes, as new research suggests there are 20 applicants for every ICT apprenticeship advertised.  

The quarterly Apprenticeship Index found that the demand for positions is higher than positions available across all sectors.

This discrepancy occurs despite a rise in ICT apprentice vacancies in the three months to October 2013. With the number of applications growing by 42%, the 13% growth in the number of vacancies was not enough, according to the report.

Currently, only the education/training and arts, media and publishing sectors have a higher ratio of applications to vacancies.

Similarly to figures specific to the IT sector, the total number of vacancies for apprentices grew by 24% while the number of applicants grew by 43%.

“With each online position attracting an average of 12 applications, demand continues to outstrip supply,” said Matthew Hancock MP, Skills and Enterprise Minister.

“I would urge more employers to consider how they can take advantage of this available pool of talent and grow their business through apprenticeship.”

The data also shows an increase of 55% of female candidates since 2012, narrowing the gender bias. Last year, 43% of apprenticeship applicants were female; this number is now 47%, according to the report.

However, these figures do not show the full picture, says commentators, as they are only based on employers who advertise their opportunities via the Apprenticeship Vacancies website, so only a snapshot of online applications is given.

© 24N.biz