Apprenticeships are paid jobs which incorporate on- and off-the-job training. There is a strong economic case for investing in these as a key training route to help young people, in particular, enter the labour market, and to support the wider economic recovery from the pandemic. Despite the significant benefits which apprenticeships offer young people compared to alternative routes, there has been a pronounced decline in the apprenticeships started by young people following the introduction apprenticeship reforms over the last decade. The decline in apprenticeship starts among young people has mostly been in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs, enterprises with fewer than 250 employees). The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a further drop in apprenticeship starts. This research examines the impact of the recent reforms on apprenticeship starts, both before and during the pandemic, with a particular focus on SMEs and young people (particularly learners aged 16-18) in order to ensure that -- as people continue to emerge from the pandemic -- the apprenticeship system is working to support those hit hardest.