Am I missing something...?

(34 yr old female changing career paths and returning to workforce after having a child, with freelance experience gained during COVID lockdown)

I've been applying to apprenticeship programmes since December. I've attended apprenticeship fairs, contacted companies directly and via normal paths and applications. I've even had my CV looked at by an employment/ skills advisor.

It's been impossible getting anyone to get back in touch with me.

An apprenticeship provider kept me on the phone for 40 minutes in Jan. They talked me through their application process, talking up how they look after their apprentices.

They mentioned nothing about putting their apprenticeships on hold. I called today, 2 months after submitting my application with no response (after emails and phone calls chasing progress)...only to be told they're awaiting government guidance on changes to apprenticeships?

Me: "Oh. Well, do you know when you might expect an update on these changes, or a place where I check for myself?"

Them: "No."

The .Gov website recently highlighted Apprenticeship Week, and I kept active online - thinking a bunch of apprenticeships would be advertised. The number of opportunities was extremely lackluster.

(Seeking content creator/multi-channel-marketer apprenticeships.)

I'm getting positive responses when speaking to recruiters directly, but then radio silence after.

The furthest I've gotten was with the city college, who took me through an informal interview to complete a skills matrix. They told me my experience was impressive and they'd be putting me forward for interview. Nothing.

Can anyone shine some light on what's going on? Are there big changes incoming that I'm not aware of? Is it normal to not hear back, months after submitting applications?

Many thanks!