The places in England that have been hardest hit by the decline in apprenticeship uptake are mostly in the North and coastal regions. For example, Harrogate and Knaresborough in Yorkshire had some of the highest numbers of apprenticeship starts in the country in 2011, at 2,220, but by 2018/19 this had declined by over 70% to just 660 new apprentices. Similarly there were 2,130 apprenticeship starts in Knowsley in 2011/12 but by 2018/19 this has halved to 1,010.
Meanwhile in London and the Home Counties, the number of people studying for an
apprenticeship has remained much more stable, and have even grown in some
places such as Wimbledon, Tooting, Richmond Park, Battersea and Chelsea & Fulham.
