26 August 2026
Northern Ireland apprenticeship numbers grow fastest at higher levels
The Department for the Economy has released apprenticeship statistics for the 2024/25 academic year, covering both ApprenticeshipsNI and Higher Level Apprenticeships delivered through further and higher education institutions.
Growth was strongest at the higher levels. There were 390 Higher Level Apprenticeship starts at HE institutions, a 14% increase on the previous year, and 1,120 participants in total, up 26% over the year. Business and management was the most popular area, accounting for 42% of Higher Level Apprenticeships, and new starts comprised 235 males and 155 females.
Across all apprenticeships in Northern Ireland there were 8,655 new starts and 14,825 participants during the year, with 4,740 apprentices achieving a qualification. Participation was highest in Mid Ulster, at 1,889 apprentices per 100,000 of the population aged 16 to 64, and 72% of apprentices overall were male.
For careers practitioners the figures are a useful corrective to a persistent assumption that apprenticeships stop at Level 3: sustained growth at Levels 4 to 7 shows a genuine higher-level route, delivered with employers and leading to degree level qualifications without tuition debt. With 72% male participation, the data also has implications for how apprenticeships are presented in schools, in options conversations and to parents.
The regional variation in participation is also worth noting when advising clients, as local employer culture and the availability of training providers differ considerably across Northern Ireland.
Read the full apprenticeship statistics release.
Growth was strongest at the higher levels. There were 390 Higher Level Apprenticeship starts at HE institutions, a 14% increase on the previous year, and 1,120 participants in total, up 26% over the year. Business and management was the most popular area, accounting for 42% of Higher Level Apprenticeships, and new starts comprised 235 males and 155 females.
Across all apprenticeships in Northern Ireland there were 8,655 new starts and 14,825 participants during the year, with 4,740 apprentices achieving a qualification. Participation was highest in Mid Ulster, at 1,889 apprentices per 100,000 of the population aged 16 to 64, and 72% of apprentices overall were male.
For careers practitioners the figures are a useful corrective to a persistent assumption that apprenticeships stop at Level 3: sustained growth at Levels 4 to 7 shows a genuine higher-level route, delivered with employers and leading to degree level qualifications without tuition debt. With 72% male participation, the data also has implications for how apprenticeships are presented in schools, in options conversations and to parents.
The regional variation in participation is also worth noting when advising clients, as local employer culture and the availability of training providers differ considerably across Northern Ireland.
Read the full apprenticeship statistics release.
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