Young people could find it easier to connect with local apprenticeship opportunities under a new £100 million expansion announced by the government.
On 28 September, the Chancellor announced additional funding to extend local apprenticeship services across England, with the aim of helping young people connect with employers — particularly smaller businesses that may not have recruited apprentices before.
The expanded services are due to operate across all 14 existing Mayoral Strategic Authorities with directly elected mayors from spring 2027.
The government says the £100 million of additional funding, spread across two years, will double the number of areas offering this type of apprenticeship matching support and is expected to help create thousands of additional youth apprenticeship opportunities.
What is a Local Apprenticeship Service?
One of the biggest challenges for young people interested in apprenticeships is knowing where to look.
Unlike university applications, there isn’t one central application period when every apprenticeship becomes available.
Different employers recruit at different times, some opportunities are advertised nationally and many smaller businesses may recruit locally.
The government’s plan is for local services to help bridge that gap.
The Chancellor described the proposed teams as working a little like “football scouts”, helping identify young people and match them with local firms looking for skills.
The emphasis will particularly be on connecting young people with smaller employers and supporting businesses that may not previously have offered apprenticeships.
What does this mean if you’re looking for an apprenticeship?
The announcement does not mean there will suddenly be a new £100 million pot of money that students can apply for directly.
Instead, the investment is intended to make it easier for employers and potential apprentices to find one another.
For students, that could eventually mean:
More local opportunities.
Smaller employers that don’t normally appear in national apprenticeship searches could become easier to discover.
More support finding the right employer.
Local services are expected to help connect young people with businesses that need their skills.
More employers offering apprenticeships.
Part of the aim is to support firms that haven’t previously recruited apprentices.
More routes into a first job.
The scheme is focused on youth apprenticeships and helping more young people move into employment with training.
The policy sits alongside other recent changes aimed at increasing apprenticeship opportunities for younger people. Apprenticeship training is now fully funded for eligible young people under 25, while eligible smaller employers will also be able to receive a new hiring payment when recruiting young apprentices from October 2026.
When will it start?
The expanded local apprenticeship services are expected to begin from spring 2027.
More detailed information about exactly how young people will access the services, how vacancies will be matched and how arrangements will operate within individual regions has not yet been published.
So, if you’re currently looking for an apprenticeship, don’t wait for the new service before beginning your search.
Continue researching employers, looking at apprenticeship vacancies and exploring the different routes available now.
The Apprenticeship Guide allows you to search hundreds of apprenticeship careers and discover employers offering apprenticeship opportunities across England.
