QAR Reaches 65.4% with 25+ Starts Growing by 25.4%

More apprentices are completing their programmes than at any point in the last seven years. The national achievement rate rose to 65.4% in 2024/25, up 4.9% from 60.5% the year before, with 198,330 learners achieving, the highest volume since 2017/18.

The improvement has been driven primarily by retention, which climbed to 66.7%. Put simply, fewer apprentices are dropping out before reaching their end-point assessment, and when they do reach it, almost all pass. The pass rate now stands at 98.0%.

Under-19 starts actually fell 5.2% to 53,510

But while the quality picture is improving, provisional figures for the first half of 2025/26 raise questions about who the system is serving. Overall starts rose 11.9% to 226,620, but that growth has come overwhelmingly from older learners. Starts for those aged 25 and over surged 25.4% to 111,370 and now account for nearly half of all apprenticeship starts. Under-19 starts actually fell 5.2% to 53,510, while 19-24 growth was a more modest 7.9%.

That age shift matters because it reflects how apprenticeships are increasingly being used. Nearly half of all starts in the period went to existing employees with over 12 months’ service, suggesting employers are using the programme to upskill their existing workforce rather than recruit and train new entrants.

Level 7 starts rose 51.9% ahead of January 2026 funding restrictions

Level 7 starts rose 51.9% ahead of January 2026 funding restrictions designed to redirect apprenticeships toward younger people. Whether those restrictions reverse the trend remains to be seen, the foundation apprenticeship programme, the government’s new route for young learners, has recorded 110 starts so far.

The number of learners from Ethnic Minority backgrounds rose 25.4%

Elsewhere, the number of learners from ethnic minority backgrounds rose 25.4% to 41,960, now representing 18.9% of the cohort, up from 16.8% last year. Higher apprenticeship starts overall increased 23.5% to 95,030.

Sector Reaction

Ben Rowland, Chief Executive of AELP, said:

“This is a genuinely strong set of results and a clear sign of sustained effort from learners and providers across the country. Seeing achievement rates rise again to 65.4% is no small feat and reflects the focus, resilience and professionalism of the sector over a number of years.

“What makes this particularly striking is how close we now are to the ‘stretch ambition’ set by the then Skills Minister at AELP National Conference in 2022. At the time, that felt out of reach. This progress should give real confidence that, even in a period of significant change, the system can continue to improve outcomes.

“The priority now is to build on this momentum. Continued stability, fair funding and a supportive policy environment will be critical to ensuring providers can keep delivering for learners and employers, and push achievement rates even higher in the years ahead.”