300,000 apprentices miss training entitlement, Sutton Trust finds
The research compared apprenticeship systems across several countries and concluded that apprentices in England face significantly lower levels of structured training
England’s apprenticeship system is delivering less training than promised and suffering from high dropout rates, according to a new report by the Sutton Trust.
The report, A World of Difference, found that 300,000 apprentices in England received less than their statutory training entitlement in 2023. Nearly 75,000 received no off-the-job training at all, with overall dropout rates reaching 40%.
The research compared apprenticeship systems across several countries and concluded that apprentices in England face significantly lower levels of structured training. Requirements for off-the-job learning are often ignored, the report said, and online training is used far more extensively than face-to-face sessions.
Simon Field, director of skills policy and the report’s author, said: “Off-the-job training requirements in England are loose, complex and widely ignored. And when the rules that do exist are flouted, it’s the most disadvantaged apprentices who often suffer the most.
“The government isn’t generous to employers taking on apprentices in England. Employers receive few financial incentives and are sometimes asked to contribute to the costs of off-the-job training.”
In contrast, employers in Wales and Northern Ireland receive full public funding for off-the-job training, while the Irish government also covers apprentice wages during training periods.
Field added: “Many other countries have nationally organised schemes to help reduce dropout rates. For example, in Germany volunteer coaches provide one-to-one support to apprentices who are having difficulties in the workplace.”
By comparison, the report said England lacks equivalent support systems and typically offers shorter apprenticeships. The minimum duration in England has recently been reduced to eight months, while equivalent programmes last at least two years in Ireland and three in Germany.
Access to apprenticeships is also limited for students who underperform at school. Unlike in other countries, England does not provide large-scale pre-apprenticeship or modified programmes to prepare young people for vocational training.
The Sutton Trust called for several reforms, including a named qualification for completed apprenticeships, minimum face-to-face training requirements, and better funding for lower-level apprenticeships aimed at disadvantaged groups.
Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, added: “Apprenticeships can be positive drivers of social mobility, but right now the system isn’t delivering enough quality opportunities for young people, especially from low-income backgrounds.
“We need a thriving, high-quality apprenticeship system that provides a genuine alternative career route from academic study. Failure to improve the quality and consistency of training will limit the prospects of many young people at a crucial time as they enter the workforce.”