Top 100 employers announced
The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2026 has been announced, highlighting the organisations leading the way in apprenticeship recruitment, training and support across the UK.
The ranking, announced in partnership with High Fliers Research, celebrates employers offering strong apprenticeship programmes across a wide range of industries, including the Armed Forces, professional services, health and social care, construction, childcare, engineering, transport, hospitality and retail.
For students thinking about their next steps, the results show that apprenticeships continue to offer real career opportunities across many different sectors.
The Top 10 Apprenticeship Employers 2026
The British Army was named the UK’s leading apprenticeship employer for 2026, followed by the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and BAE Systems.
The Top 10 employers named in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2026 were:
- British Army
- Royal Navy
- Royal Air Force
- BAE Systems
- Busy Bees Nurseries
- Deloitte
- Mitchells and Butlers
- Kids Planet Day Nurseries
- London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
- Amazon
The Top 10 shows the wide range of apprenticeship routes available to young people, from the Armed Forces and defence to childcare, professional services, hospitality, healthcare and logistics.
Most new apprenticeships are still entry level
One of the strongest messages from the data is that apprenticeships remain a major route into work for people starting out.
According to statistics shared as part of the announcement, 58% of new apprenticeship starts in 2025 were at entry level. This means apprenticeships are still a strong option for students looking to start their career after school or college.
Degree level apprenticeships made up 22% of new starts, while higher level apprenticeships accounted for 20%. This shows that apprenticeships can support different stages of learning, from first jobs through to higher qualifications.
Young people remain a key part of apprenticeship recruitment
The data also showed that 64% of new apprentices were aged 16 to 24, while 36% were aged 25 and over.
This highlights the important role apprenticeships continue to play for young people starting out. It also shows that apprenticeships are not only for school leavers, as adults can also use them to build skills, gain qualifications or change careers.
Apprenticeships are reaching a wide range of learners
The diversity figures show that apprenticeships are supporting learners from different backgrounds.
Among new apprentices in 2025, 58% were men and 42% were women. A further 29% were from an ethnic minority background, while 12% had a learning difficulty or disability.
This shows that apprenticeships can provide a more accessible route into work and training for many different people.
The strongest sectors for new apprenticeship starts
The strongest number of new apprenticeship starts by sector came from the Armed Forces, with 9,954 apprentices.
This was followed by professional services with 5,733, health and social care with 4,517, engineering and industrial with 3,369, transport, travel and logistics with 3,357, and childcare with 3,178.
Other sectors also recorded new apprenticeship starts, including hospitality with 2,391, retailing with 1,660, banking and finance with 1,305, construction with 1,256, public sector with 1,217, business services with 969, media with 670, technology with 566, energy with 410, trade supplies with 358, education and training with 141, and fine art with 26.
Apprenticeships are available across many career paths
The figures show that apprenticeships are not limited to one type of career.
Students can find routes into practical, technical, creative, caring, business and professional roles. This means students should not rule out apprenticeships if they are interested in sectors such as media, finance, technology, health, engineering, construction or childcare.
Strong apprenticeship employers come in different sizes
The ranking also showed that apprenticeships are being offered by employers of many different sizes.
Among the Top 100 employers, 23% had between 1,001 and 5,000 UK employees, 20% had between 10,001 and 25,000 employees, and 18% had 500 employees or fewer.
This suggests that high-quality apprenticeship opportunities are not only found in the largest organisations. Students should look at a wide range of employers when researching opportunities.
Apprenticeship completions show continued investment
The number of apprenticeships completed in 2025 also varied across employers.
The largest group, 32%, completed up to 50 apprenticeships, while 24% completed between 101 and 250. A further 16% completed between 251 and 500, 15% completed between 51 and 100, and 13% completed more than 500 apprenticeships.
This shows that employers are not only recruiting apprentices, but also supporting many of them through to completion.
What this means for students applying in the next 12 months
For students planning to apply for apprenticeships in the next 12 months, the message is clear. There are opportunities across many industries, and entry level apprenticeships remain a major route into work and training.
Students should start researching employers early, compare different sectors, look at the level of apprenticeship being offered and think carefully about the type of work they would enjoy.
The Top 100 list can be a useful starting point for discovering employers that are investing in apprenticeships and supporting young people into careers.
