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Employment, skills and economic security
Youth Futures Foundation · 2025
This qualitative study, commissioned by Youth Futures Foundation and conducted by NatCen, investigates why young people from Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds are under-represented in apprenticeships in England. The research found that key barriers include family and community pressure to pursue university, low apprenticeship wages (particularly burdensome for those expected to contribute to household income), lack of accessible information, and experiences of racism and cultural exclusion in the workplace. The report identifies regional and sectoral variation in these barriers and makes recommendations covering targeted outreach, inclusive recruitment practices, and enhanced pastoral support to improve both starts and completion rates among minority ethnic apprentices.