Genie Connect
Increasing L2 and L3 Apprenticeships
Genie Connect is a national programme funded by Youth Futures Foundation, focused on increasing access to Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships.
Amazing Apprenticeships are working with large/macro employers to explore the barriers to creating entry-level opportunities and identify practical solutions to support apprenticeship growth.
Why This Matters
Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships play a critical role in supporting young people into work. For every 10 young people who undertake an apprenticeship, one will get a job who wouldn’t have done so otherwise.
Yet, despite strong employer support for apprenticeships, the number of entry-level opportunities has declined by 72% since 2014/15 – particularly impacting young people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds.
At the same time, the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) continues to rise, making access to high-quality entry pathways more important than ever.
What we have done
Through surveys and roundtables with over 100 large/macro employers, we have gathered insight into the challenges of delivering Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships. Key themes identified include:
- Rising employment and delivery costs
- Work readiness and support needs
- Internal capacity and increasing priorities
- Complexity of the apprenticeship system
- Perceptions of Level 2 and 3 pathways
What we are doing now
Insights highlighted that employers place greatest value on learning from each other and openly sharing ideas, which is why we created the free, online Summer Conference series for employers, providers and sector stakeholders to share what’s working, explore challenges and support growth in Level 2 and 3 apprenticeship opportunities.
What’s next
Insights from the project will inform a policy paper developed in collaboration with employers and partners, helping to shape future approaches to increasing apprenticeship opportunities.
Alongside this work, Youth Futures Foundation have launched the Make It An Apprenticeship campaign, supporting both large employers and SMEs to create more Level 2 and 3 apprenticeship opportunities, with practical actions and further examples of what works.