Apprenticeship starters in the four priority sectors of Construction, Business, Digital and Engineering totalled 2,950 in 2021/22, which together made up 65% of all apprenticeship starts in the region. 

Almost all the 673 Business apprenticeship starts were on programmes at advanced level.  

Just under half the Business apprenticeship starters (48%) were aged 24+. And 86% of the 115 starters on Higher level apprenticeships also were aged 24+ 

The sector with the largest number of apprenticeship starts in 2021/22 was construction and the 1,372 learners made up 30% of all starts. The majority of starts were for programmes at intermediate level and the majority of apprentices across intermediate and advanced levels were aged 16-18. 

The number of starts for apprenticeships in Digital were relatively very low in 2021/22. All but three of the 86 starters were learning on advanced level programmes. Apprentices aged 16-18 formed the largest age group. 

In 2021/22 the number of apprenticeship starts in Engineering was 819. 

More than half (51.6%) were aged 16-19, followed by 34% aged 19-23 and 14% aged 24+. 

Starters on advanced level apprenticeships totalled 603 and made up 73% of all Engineering starts.