England’s Apprenticeship Provision Needs Urgent Reform To Drive Economic Growth and Deliver On Social Mobility

England is facing chronic skills shortages and apprenticeships can play a key role in closing this gap. However, while there is some very good provision in England, far too many apprenticeships are poor quality, with limited training expectations. And rather than supporting social mobility, the poorest young people are under-represented, especially at the higher levels.

In England, Nearly 40% of Apprentices Fail To Complete

In England, nearly 40% of apprentices fail to complete their course. A staggering figure considering the role these opportunities can play in bridging the gap between supply and demand in the English skills system.

The Sutton Trust’s latest report, A World of Difference, written by international vocational education expert Simon Field, compares the apprenticeships system in England with those in a range of other countries. This includes often cited examples like Germany and Switzerland, to a wider number of systems in economies more similar to our own, including recent changes in Ireland.

A Focus On Quality

While there are good quality apprenticeships in England, far too many fall below the reasonable expectations of minimum standards, and below the expectations of other leading apprenticeship countries.

Part of the issue is that off-the-job training requirements are loose, complex and widely ignored. In principle, apprentices in England should receive around 6 hours of off-the-job training per week. However, in 2023, around 300,000 apprentices received less than their training entitlement, and nearly 75,000 received no training at all.

And when the rules that do exist are flouted, the most disadvantaged will often be badly placed to challenge the inadequacies in their programme. Many young people from poorer families simply can’t risk giving up the opportunity that taking on an apprenticeship provides them to earn while learning, or risk losing their apprenticeship if they speak out about issues with their employer. 

Comparing Off The Job Training Internationally

Comparing this internationally, in Denmark school time is about 20% of the programme; in Germany at least 12 hours a week are spent in the vocational school; and in Ireland there are 40 weeks of off-the-job education and training in four-year trade apprenticeships.

We also see a heavy reliance on online training for apprenticeships in England. In comparison, internationally off-the-job training usually involves release on a daily or longer basis to attend college, allowing apprentices to take part in valuable face-to-face training.

Employer incentives

Compared to other countries, England isn’t generous to employers who take on apprentices, meaning they have little incentive to provide high-quality training. Employers are sometimes asked to contribute to the costs of off-the-job training, and they only receive additional financial incentives in special circumstances, such as what are currently modest incentives to take on younger apprentices.

In contrast, many other countries provide additional incentives for employers. For example, in Ireland, employers receive a subsidy and pay nothing for off-the-job training. On top of this, during the training periods, wages are paid by Government rather than by employers.

Looking at other countries, Norway and Denmark are also generous, and in France, the Netherlands and Austria employers receive financial incentives as well as being free from any requirement to contribute to off-the-job training costs.

Even closer to home, in Northern Ireland and Wales the Government pays 100% of off-the-job training costs for apprentices. So, it’s somewhat understandable that employers in England have much less incentive to provide high quality, face-to-face training.

And too many young people in England are being let down by inadequate training, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Reform is long overdue. We’d like to see an increase in the level of standardisation in the system, with a minimum requirement for face-to-face off-the-job training which is more stringently enforced than at present.

Apprenticeships Can Be A Driver Of Social Mobility

This is just one route on the path to providing a thriving, high-quality apprenticeship system which provides a genuine alternative career route from academic study. These opportunities are often highly valued by young people from low-income backgrounds who can earn money while they learn. So access to these opportunities should be widened.

Lessons From Ireland

Unlike several other countries, England doesn’t offer large pre-apprenticeship systems or modified apprenticeship programmes designed to support those who have not performed strongly at school. In comparison, Ireland runs a 15-week Access to Apprenticeships programme, providing disadvantaged young people with the chance to sample apprenticeships in a range of sectors. Ireland also provides access to wider support including bursaries.

It remains to be seen how far England’s new Foundation Apprenticeships will fill this gap, while the new Growth and Skills Levy comes into effect next April. But if the Government genuinely wants to ‘break down barriers to opportunity’ through apprenticeships, they should fund incentives to support young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, for example providing additional funding to employers, or additional support directly to young apprentices.

In advance of the new levy being formalised, the Government should seize the chance to improve the quality and consistency of apprenticeships training. This could lead to more young people completing their training. And it should consider incentives to support more young people to get a foothold on the apprenticeships career ladder. Failure to do so will undermine efforts to widen the pool of domestic talent needed by employers, particularly in high-growth sectors across the country.  

By Dr Rebecca Montacute, Head of Research and Policy at the Sutton Trust