Apprenticeship Outcomes & Destinations

Apprenticeship Outcomes and Destinations

The St Martin’s Group is pleased to publish its report “Apprenticeship outcomes and destinations”, which investigates why there is a large cohort of apprentices who do not complete their apprenticeship and what steps can be taken to resolve this.

The issue of high non-completions has long plagued both policymakers and the wider Further Education sector. This research, conducted by Learning and Work Institute, aims to answer fundamental questions about who are the apprentices withdrawing from their programmes, what their reasons were for withdrawal and what additional support might have encouraged them to complete.

Our report provides the first detailed comparison of what happens to apprentices who complete or withdraw from their programme and has provided insights into why 48 per cent of new apprentices withdraw from their course, while also confirming the benefits to individuals, employers and the economy of completing an apprenticeship.

It also uncovers the many successful outcomes for those who have engaged in an apprenticeship, regardless of whether they completed their programme, which are not captured in official data.

The detailed recommendations contained in the report call for impactful collaboration across the sector, providing a solid foundation for Government and sector stakeholders to improve the system, increase completions, and in turn, attract more learners to pursue vocational training.

To support the publication of this report, The St Martin’s Group held an event to discuss the findings and bring together sector leaders to consider the recommendations, including how communicating the wider benefits of participating in apprenticeships can be used to increase public trust in the Programme.