Overcoming Barriers to Apprenticeships (2025)

Apprenticeships Norfolk offer a free, impartial brokerage service to businesses in Norfolk, which aims to remove the pain points for time-poor employers wishing to start an apprenticeship.

National research highlights more than 80% of businesses surveyed, report barriers to hiring apprentices.

Our local research survey 'Overcoming Barriers to Apprenticeships' was first undertaken in 2021/22 and then repeated in 2025. The employer surveys provide insight into how Norfolk employers experience, value and are constrained by apprenticeships. Employers across Norfolk responded to the survey, providing insight into understanding the types of barriers and challenges local organisations face when considering starting an apprenticeship programme and what support might be useful in the future. Drawing on 426 employer responses across both surveys, the findings show that while apprenticeships are widely regarded as a valuable skills and workforce development tool, uptake and expansion are increasingly constrained - particularly for SMEs - by costs, capacity and economic uncertainty.

We hope you enjoy reading the 'Overcoming Barriers to Apprenticeships (2021/22 & 2025) ~ Summary Report' (PDF, 2 MB).

Note: The summary report may not be accessible to some users. To request the information in an alternative format, please email [email protected]