Listen to this story Members can listen to an AI-generated audio version of this article. 1.0x Audio narration uses an AI-generated voice. 0:00 0:00 Become a member to listen to this article Subscribe More than 300 training providers have been approved to deliver the government’s apprenticeship units, with FE Week analysis showing low achievement rates and mixed inspection outcomes remain prevalent among eligible providers. The apprenticeship provider and assessment register has been updated to include a “can deliver” units column, revealing a total of 306 eligible providers approved to offer the short-course alternatives to full apprenticeships in the initial rollout of the flagship scheme. Providers must still update their training offer through the online apprenticeship service before appearing on the real-time Find Apprenticeship Training system that employers will use to select a training provider. As of FE Week’s latest stocktake on 1 June, fewer than half of the approved providers – 147 – had signed up to deliver individual units. In April, FE Week conducted an initial audit of the first 80 providers listed for units and found six with apprenticeship achievement rates below 60 per cent, including one with a rate of 52.9 per cent. The national average apprenticeship achievement rate sits at 65.4 per cent. Eight providers also had fewer than 20 apprenticeship leavers in total in 2024-25, while three had fewer than 10. One provider’s learner numbers were so low that no achievement rate was published. (Story continues after table) The findings sit uneasily with Skills England guidance, which stated that initial delivery would be “limited to a targeted group of existing apprenticeship providers who already demonstrate strong performance in the occupational standards from which the units are drawn”. While the guidance only specified that providers must not have any indicators rated as ‘at risk’ on the apprenticeship accountability framework and be free from contractual funding restrictions, analysis of the newly released full list suggests eligibility has continued to be extended beyond providers with the strongest apprenticeship performance indicators. One provider on the updated approved list, Furness College, was rated “inadequate” by Ofsted under the previous inspection framework in 2024. It recorded an apprenticeship achievement rate of 57.2 per cent last year. Under Ofsted’s new report-card framework, the college received 13 “needs attention” judgments and two ‘expected standard’ judgments during an inspection this year. The college is due to merge with Blackpool and The Fylde College in August. Blackpool and The Fylde College recorded a 60 per cent apprenticeship achievement rate and holds a ‘good’ Ofsted rating under the previous inspection framework. Two other new approved providers on the units list have never received a full Ofsted inspection. ‘Not fit for purpose’ Twenty-three providers recorded 20 or fewer apprenticeship leavers in 2024-25. Meanwhile, 43 providers approved to deliver units recorded apprenticeship achievement rates of between 50 and 60 per cent. Among the lowest-performing providers by apprenticeship achievement rate were City of Portsmouth College (50.2 per cent), MITskills (50.7 per cent) and Greenlight Training (52.0 per cent). The rollout has also attracted criticism from within the provider market. Corndel, one of the major apprenticeship providers initially signed up to deliver units, has since withdrawn from the programme, arguing that the government’s model is “not fit for purpose”. A previous FE Week investigation found concerns over the design, funding rates and payment model for apprenticeship units, with some providers warning that the arrangements made delivery unattractive. A government spokesperson previously told FE Week it would not comment on individual providers because of commercial sensitivities, but said employers could be assured that the government has ‘standard processes for managing contracts to protect learner outcomes’. It was recently revealed that Ofsted will not inspect apprenticeship unit provision until April 2027 at the earliest. Apprenticeship unit starts have been permitted since April 28, allowing employers to spend levy funds on non-apprenticeship training for the first time. Ten units are available in the initial phase of the rollout: AI leadership – AI strategy and opportunity AI leadership – AI adoption, procurement and governance AI leadership – AI delivery and organisational transformation Electric vehicle charging point installation and maintenance Electrical fitting and assembly Mechanical fitting and assembly Permanent modular building assembly Solar PV installation and maintenance Welding – mechanised Battery manufacturing Delivery hours range from 30 to 140 hours, while funding rates vary between £750 and £3,200.
Anon 5 June 2026 Overall apprenticeship achievement is not a robust gauge of quality when talking about subject level delivery. For instance, there are many providers offering Solar & EV units, yet have had tiny cohorts on the safety critical Installation Electrician standard. If tiny cohorts aren’t a concern, perhaps standard specific achievement rates should be. There is a provider on the list, with an achievement rate for that standard over the last 3 years of 15%, 35% & 34%. More importantly though, key electrical industry stakeholders have urged a re-think, stating that the Solar and EV units do not meet industry standards and raise serious safety concerns.