Data Portal

To provide a current insight into the performance of apprenticeship starts across Norfolk, we produce a data summary every quarter, using public data published by the Department for Education (DfE). You can access the full data on the Department for Education website. This data indicates whether there has been growth or decline of new apprenticeships starts, compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The data is cumulative and uses the DfE's academic year which is as follows:

Q1 - 1st August to 31st October
Q2 - 1st November to 31st January
Q3 - 1st February to 30th April
Q4 - 1st May to 31st July

Note: Data is classed as 'provisional' whilst in year (i.e. for Q1-3) and by Q4 the data is 'finalised'.

Locations have been assigned based on the learner's home postcode; from this their local authority and local authority district can be drawn. The data is also filtered to illustrate trends by apprentice age; apprenticeship level; apprenticeship sector; length of employment (i.e. how long the apprentice was employed prior to starting the apprenticeship); training provider; and whether the employer pays into the apprenticeship levy or not.

You can explore local apprenticeship data using our "in year" interactive PowerBI dashboard (latest update: Q1 2025/26)

You can also explore local apprenticeship data relating to "full year" data using this interactive PowerBI dashboard (latest update: Q4 2024/25)

For additional support using the interactive PowerBI dashboard, or for any general enquiries relating to this data summary - please get in touch with Apprenticeships Norfolk

Summary of "in year" Apprenticeships in Norfolk data ~ Q2 2025/26

The following summary illustrates the (cumulative) performance of new apprenticeship starts in Norfolk throughout the "in year" academic year 2025/26 - currently, up to Q2 - and compared to the same period of the previous academic year.

Following a slow start in Q1, by Q2 Norfolk has seen a modest growth of 2.78% in the number of new apprenticeship starts, compared to the same period in the previous year.

This equates to 3,065 new starts in Norfolk, 83 more than Q2 of the previous AY,but looking back at provisional Q2 data, this is also the highest volumeof new starts by Q2 that we've seen in the last 6 years.

Age - by the end of Q2 there were less young people,aged 16-18 starting apprenticeships as in the previous year and the number of apprenticeship starts for those aged 19-24 has reduced (-5.13% and -5.21% respectively). In real terms, these declines amount to c40 less apprentices for each age group, compared to last year. The first 6 months of this academic year has seen the growth of starts for those aged 25+ (12% or +166) and this is partially attributed to a spike of starts likely due to the defunding of L7 for those aged over 22, in January. Note - there was a 55% increase in starts for those aged 25+ undertaking Level 7 apprenticeships (+86) but there were also increases for this age group across Level 3, 4, 5 and 6 too.

Level - in the first six months of the academic year, Norfolk has seen growth of new apprenticeship starts at all levelswith the exception of Level 2 - which reports a decline of -18.37%, which is 108 less starts than the previous year. A continued growth spike in Level 7 starts (due to the market impact from a recent policy change to defund Level 7 for those aged 22+) has seen a 42.79% growth of Level 7 starts in this period. Out of the 307 starts at Level 7 in Norfolk; 65 were for young people aged 16-24.

Analysis of the 'size' of employers shows that apprenticeships started by non-levy funded (small to medium sized) businesses in Norfolk have continued to increase by 14.19% (+154 more apprenticeship starts) than in the same six month period of 2023/24. However, larger (levy-paying) businesses, saw a decline of -3.74% (-71 apprenticeship starts) compared with this time last year. This suggests (which aligns with anecdotal feedback) that larger, levy-paying employers have been more cautious in starting new apprenticeships in the first six months of this AY - perhaps related to the emerging policy reforms connected to the apprenticeship levy.

By provider - the 'top five' by highest volume of new starts by Q2 of 2025/26 include (in order) CCN, College of West Anglia, UEA, Poultec Training andAnglia Ruskin University.

QAR - nationally, overall this is moving upwards (from 60.5% in 2023/24 to 65.4% in 2024/25) and lots of providers have seen increases in their QAR this year. Particular shout-out to two local providers; City College Norwich and Poultec Training Ltd - noting close to a 15% rise in their QAR's this year. These are amongst the highest rises for providers with a delivery footprint in Norfolk.

Summary of "full year" Apprenticeships in Norfolk data ~ Q4 2024/25

The following summary illustrates the (cumulative) performance of new apprenticeship starts in Norfolk throughout the "full" academic years - up to Q4 2024/25 - and compared to the same period of the previous academic year.

Locally, we have seen 4.37% growth of new apprenticeship starts in Norfolk, up to the end of Q4 of 24/25, compared to the same period in the previous year. This equates to 5,112 new starts in Norfolk, 214 more than by Q4 of the previous academic year. This growth is slightly higher than the national picture, where the growth of new apprenticeship starts over the same period in England is 4.1%. It is worth noting, that this is the highest volume of new starts in Norfolk, in three years - and only six less overall than the highest point in 2021/22 when we saw 5,118 new starts. This was previously the highest volume of new starts in Norfolk following the decline following the introduction of the levy and apprenticeship standards in 2018.

Age - we've only seen growth of apprenticeship starts for those aged 25+ (+13.59%); for those aged 16-18 and 19-24, the number of new starts has declined (by -6.9% and -2.75% respectively).
Level 2 and Level 6 apprenticeship starts have declined (by -6.76% and -10.17% respectively); however Level 3, Level 4, Level 5 and Level 7 has seen growth of starts (+1.34%, +16.07%, 18.06% and 48.58% respectively). It is not unsurprising to see a spike in L7 starts, given the government's announcement to de-fund these programmes for those aged 22+ from January 2026.
Most districts saw growth; South Norfolk seeing the highest growth rate of +14.74% (+117 new starts in real numbers), compared to the same point last year. However, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk were the only district to experience a decline (-1.55% or 12 less starts in real numbers).
The number of 'newly recruited' apprentices* declined by 9.07% (*apprentices up to 3 months in employment, at start of their apprenticeship) compared to the previous year. In real numbers this relates to -192 less 'new hire' apprenticeship starts. The 'new hire' apprenticeship starts account for 1,924 of the 5,112 starts overall in Norfolk.
Analysis of the 'size' of employers shows that apprenticeships started by non-levy funded (small to medium sized) businesses have increased by 2.32% (+38 more apprentice starts) than in the same period of 2023/24 - and this is the strongest volume of SME starts we've seen in three years. Larger businesses also saw growth; 5.4% or +176 more apprentices than this time last year.
In terms of sector, Digital starts saw the highest growth rate and highest growth in real numbers; with +73.85% growth (+161 starts in real numbers) comparing to the same Q3 period last year. Retail and Commercial Services starts showed a decline of -11.18% (-52 starts) which is the lowest number of starts in this sector for over five years, including 2020/21 during the Covid19 pandemic.
By provider - the 'top five' by highest volume of new starts by Q4 of 2024/25 include (in order) CCN, Poultec Training, Lifetime, Multiverse and UEA.