Apprentice figures at Peterborough colleges revealed

Figures given in a report to Peterborough City Council’s Children and Education Scrutiny Committee show that there were 1,405 apprentices at Peterborough Regional College (PRC) and 295 at City College Peterborough (CCP).

Between the two colleges there were 489 new apprentices starting in 2016/17, with the majority in the 16 to 18 age range.

At CCP in 2016/17, 52 apprentices studied business administration, 39 studied leadership and management, 38 studied childcare, 20 studied health and social care and 17 apprentices participated in customer service.

The rest studied information technology, supporting teaching and learning in schools, social media, hospitality and catering.

At PRC, there were 157 new apprentices studying engineering and manufacturing technologies. The retail and commercial enterprise sector accounted for 55 new apprentices, followed by business and administration (36) and construction and planning (31).

The report has been co-written by Pat Carrington, principal of CCP and assistant director for skills and employment at the council. It adds that nationally: “Official statistics published in late October 2017 report a 59 per cent decline in apprenticeship starts” after the launch of the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy.