Sunderland named 20th best place to be an apprentice in England, new analysis finds

Multiverse’s ‘Top 20 Towns & Cities to be an Apprentice’ ranks areas using criteria from government and ONS data including the number of apprentices per business, growth in the number of new apprentices, the area's employment rate, growth of businesses, and how affordable renting is across the towns and cities.

Sunderland came in 20th place, ranking highly for the number of apprentices, where there is an average of 36 for every 100 businesses in the area.

The North Eastern town also boasts high levels of affordability for a one bedroom rental property (£450), boosting the area’s attractiveness for an apprentice looking to start their career.

Data shows that almost six in ten people are in work in the town (56%), while there has been a 8% increase in the number of businesses in the area between 2019-22.

These factors have led Sunderland to secure its spot as a vibrant place to do an apprenticeship in the country.

The analysis has found that Sunderland is the third best place to be an apprentice in the North East, with only two others in the region placing in the Top 20.

Stoke-on-Tees (6th) and Darlington (17th) secured their spots on the list largely thanks to high rates of business growth and affordability of one bedroom rental properties for apprentices.

A Multiverse spokesperson said: “Sunderland is a fantastic place to do an apprenticeship – and it is great to celebrate the city’s success this National Apprenticeship Week.

"From strong numbers of apprentices compared to the number of companies in the city to growing numbers of businesses, being an apprentice here means having a strong start to your career.”

Euan Blair, CEO at Multiverse, said: “Apprenticeships are an incredible vehicle for social mobility across the UK – and at Multiverse we’re proud to have apprentices in every corner of the country.

"Access to our apprenticeships has been unlocked by the use of tech to scale our offering nationwide and has allowed us to reach often overlooked areas.

"The spread of opportunities supports our belief in the ability for apprenticeships to be the tool that enables equitable access to economic opportunity, for everyone.”