Social Work Degree Apprenticeship Working as a ‘Grow Your Own’ Route, first major study finds

The first large scale study of the Social Work Degree Apprenticeship, published today by the Department for Education, finds the route is widely valued and seen as strong preparation for practice, while flagging weaker retention in child and family social work and the funding pressures employers face in running it.

Carried out by IFF Research and commissioned in September 2025, the mixed methods study draws on a survey of 1,216 current, completed and former apprentices alongside 15 local authority case studies and further interviews with strategic leads. It is the first research of its scale into a route that has expanded rapidly since launching in 2018, growing from 93 starts in 2018/19 to 1,250 by the end of May in 2024/25, with completions rising from 30 to 320 over the same period.

The standout finding is that the apprenticeship functions largely as an internal progression pathway rather than a fresh intake route. Almost nine in ten apprentices (89%) were already working in the health and social work sector before starting, and 91% were already employed by the organisation that took them on. Most employers recruit internally only, using the route to upskill existing staff and support retention. The profile of apprentices reflects this: 85% are female, 83% white and 58% were over 35 when they started, with 17% reporting a disability and 14% learning difficulties. Employers told researchers the blend of practical and academic learning opened the profession to people with caring responsibilities or who could not afford to train through the traditional university route, a group the report concludes the apprenticeship is helping to bring into social work.

Satisfaction with the apprenticeship is high. 92% of apprentices were satisfied overall and 99% said they would recommend it, most often because it let them earn while learning. The clearest weakness is balancing study with the day job, with around a fifth dissatisfied on that front, and satisfaction dropped sharply to 47% among those who did not complete. Of the 55 who left early, three quarters did so in their first year. On the central question of whether the route prepares people for the job, 94% of current and completed apprentices felt it had prepared them well, with employers crediting apprentices’ practical experience for leaving them ready to handle complex cases.

The retention picture carries a note of caution that is likely to draw attention. 88% of those who completed were still in social work at the time of the survey and 82% remained with their apprenticeship employer, but retention in child and family social work (78%) trailed adult social work (86%). With child and family services under sustained workforce pressure, that gap is a pointed finding.

Employers were clear about what would let them do more. The most common ask was government funding to cover backfill while apprentices are on placement, or funding for whole apprentice roles, which several said would allow them to expand the programme. Better communication with learning providers was another recurring theme, with some employers building their own tracking tools to close information gaps.

The report concludes that the apprenticeship is widely valued by apprentices and employers alike and is broadening who can enter social work, while its success rests heavily on employers protecting learning time and managing caseloads during placements.

The full report, Social Work Degree Apprenticeships, is available on gov.uk.