The Safaraz Ali (SAF) Asian Apprenticeships Awards event took place on November 10, 2016, aimed at recognizing talent among apprentices from the BME Asian community. Despite an increase in British Asians entering apprenticeships from 4,680 to 21,380 over ten years, they still make up only 4.2% of apprenticeships, significantly below expected levels. The document discusses the demographic growth of British Asians, the challenges they face in apprenticeship uptake, and the paradox of higher university enrollment despite a governmental push towards vocational training.

1. Safaraz Ali (Saf)
Asian Apprenticeships Awards
An independent awards event that occurred on the
10th November 2016 and will be back again later this
year.
Aim: recognising and celebrating the talent and
diversity among apprentices within the BME Asian
community
The focus was to do something practical to make a
positive difference

2. Background:
• Sajid Javed, the then Business Secretary last year
Stated as part of the BME 2020 vision amongst other to
focus on:
Increase the proportion of apprenticeships taken
up by BME backgrounds by 20%
Increase the number of BME students going to
University
In addition:
Terms of reference for the Baroness McGregor-Smith review was
given

3. Population Breakdown England 2011
Asian or Asian British Black or Black British
British Mixed and Other White
White (85.5%) 45,281,142
Asian or Asian British (7.8%) 4,143,403
Black or Black British (3.5%) 1,846,614
British Mixed and
Other / Unknown (3.2%) 1,741,297
Total Population 53,012,456
British Indian (34%) 1,395,702
British Pakistani (27%) 1,112,282
Other BritishAsian (39%) 1,635,419

4. Apprenticeship Statistics: England 2015/16
Asian or Asian British
Black or Black British
British Mixed andOther / Unknown
White
• White (88.1%) 448,830
• Asian or Asian British (4.2%) 21,380
• Black or Black British (3.4%) 17,500
• British Mixed and
Other / Unknown(4.3%) 21,690
Total Apprentices 509,400
Source: FE Data Library and
House of Commons Briefing Paper, Number 06113, 21 November 2016
Apprenticeship Statistics: England

5. Apprentices take-up against Norm
for the Population (parity)
British Mixed /
Other, 134%
White, 103%
Black or Black British, 97%
Asian or Asian British,
54%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% 140% 160%
Ethnicity

6. British Asians in Apprenticeships
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
Over the past 10 years, the up
take of Apprenticeships by
British Asians has increased
from circa 4,680 to 21,380
Despite this, British Asians are
falling behind with only 4.2%
entering apprenticeships,
which is 3.6% below a 54%
shortfall from the expected.
However this is not the
full story!!
* House of Commons Briefing Paper, Number 06113,
21 November 2016 Apprenticeship Statistics:
England
The growth of British Asians in Apprenticeships

7. Asian Apprentice Statistics
• The British Asian population of England is growing
faster than the overall population
• More than one in three (36.5%) British Asians are
under 15, compared with fewer than one in five
whites (18.5%).
• 58% of the demographics in a specific case of
British Pakistanis in Birmingham are under 24
against 31.75% for White as a like for like
comparison, this is depicted in the next two
charts.

8. Age Pyramids of Pakistani
British Asians in Birmingham
MAPPING OF RACE AND POVERTY IN BIRMINGHAM
Alessio Cangiano – ESRC Centre on Migration, Policy and
Society (COMPAS, University of Oxford)

9. Age Pyramids of Whites in
Birmingham

10. University Statistics: England 2015/16
Asian or Asian British
Black or Black British
British Mixed and Other / Unknown
White
White (77%) 1,417,300
Asian or Asian British 10% 183,505
Black or Black Brtitish (7%) 122,150
British Mixed and
Other / Unknown(6%) 119,360
Total Number at University
1,842,315
UK Domicile all years
Source: www.hesa.ac.uk

11. University take-up against Norm for the
Population (parity)
However As before this is not the full story!!
Because of the over representation of young demographic which will skew the
numbers further.
Asian or Asian British ,
128%
Black or Black British ,
189%
British Mixed and Other
/ Unkown, 203%
White , 90%
0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250%
Ethnicity

12. A few final thoughts:
Unsure why government trying to get more BME students into
university as these are already more likely to go to university
than white British students
If we meet the government growth plans of 20% increase on
apprenticeships this will still be at least 35% below current
figures
The removal of uplifts under the new app funding: disadvantage
uplift and London weighting affects disproportionally the BME
community
Many more British Asians will continue to go down the route of
University with very little thought in terms of any alternative
including the higher degree option