Apprenticeship achievement rate falls just short of 67% target

The national apprenticeship achievement rate has risen to 65.4 per cent for the 2024-25 academic year, just missing the government’s long-standing target.

New data shows that almost two-thirds of apprentices are now successfully completing their training and assessment, but below the 67 per cent ambition first set by ministers in 2022.

The target, introduced by then skills minister Alex Burghart, was widely viewed as “ambitious” considering the rate sat at just 51.4 per cent at the time, with sector leaders questioning whether it could be achieved by the end of the 2024-25 academic year.

The overall achievement rate on apprenticeship standards hit 60.5 per cent last year and has now risen 4.9 percentage points to 65.4 per cent.

Meanwhile, the retention rate on apprenticeship standards has been boosted by 4.8 percentage points, rising from 61.9 per cent in 2023-24 to 66.7 per cent last year. It means 33 per cent of apprentices dropped out before completing their training last year.

In a letter to the sector, work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden praised the improved picture but urged for achievement rates to exceed 70 per cent “in the coming years”.

McFadden said: “This is another good result which speaks to the hard work of providers and employers alike.

“It is our collective focus on excellence that has brought us success, but we understand that quality is wider than achievements – it is also about learner experience, good delivery, and long-term value to the country. While many apprentices move on for positive reasons, the greatest value for the individual, the employer, and the economy comes from full completion.

“To maximise the impact of this investment and building on the strong foundations providers and employers have helped to create, I would like to see achievement rates reach and exceed 70 per cent in the coming years.”

He added that the government “will not hesitate to intervene” where quality is at risk as new “products”, such as foundation apprenticeships and apprenticeship units are introduced.