Today's full year apprenticeship figures are broadly good news. After plateauing for two years, the number of apprenticeship starts has begun to increase again. At 353,500, starts are 4% higher than last year. Although they remain 10% lower than pre-pandemic levels, they're moving in the right direction. We'll need to keep an eye on early 25/26 data to see if this is maintained. However, it's concerning to see that the number of intermediate apprenticeship starts continues to fall (-7% since 23/24). As we highlighted last year, intermediate apprenticeships can provide a vital stepping stone for young people or those with low qualification levels, and it's a shame to see these opportunities continue to decrease. Also of concern is that 4,000 fewer young people aged under 19 started an apprenticeship, compared to 23/24. We need to encourage employers to take on more young apprentices and support young people to take up these opportunities, including through a turbocharged Youth Guarantee.