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Apprentice retention
Maximising your apprentice completions
Why nearly two in five apprentices don’t finish, and what employers can do about it.
39.5% of apprentices did not complete their programme in 2023/24. That’s thousands of unfinished qualifications and a great deal of investment on both sides that never reaches its potential.
The causes are well documented, and so are the things that help.
Source: Department for Education, Apprenticeships: Academic Year 2023/24, published 2025
The scale of the challenge
39.5%
of apprentices did not complete their programme in 2023/24.
33%
of employers cite the time required to manage apprentices as a primary barrier to programme success
Over two thirds of those who withdraw do so between six and twelve months into their course, after the organisation has already invested significantly in recruitment and induction
Sources: Department for Education, Apprenticeships: Academic Year 2023/24, published 2025; The St Martins Group, Enabling Better Outcomes, 2024
What the research tells us
Research from The St Martins Group identified the primary reasons apprentices withdraw:
- 37% cited a lack of support from their employer
- 32% cited poor course organisation and logistics
- 29% cited high workload
- 27% cited loss of interest or motivation
- 26% cited poor tutor support
The same research identified what made a meaningful positive difference for those who completed:
- 49% had structured support with off-the-job study time
- 50% had active support from their training provider or tutor
- 36% had a dedicated workplace mentor or support network
Regular one-to-ones with line managers, access to useful resources, and having a mentor who had been through the same process were cited most frequently as the factors that made the difference.
Source: Apprenticeship Outcomes and Destinations, The St Martins Group, 2022
What this means for employers
The pattern is consistent. Apprentices who complete have employers who take their pastoral development as seriously as their professional development. They have line managers who are trained and willing. There’s structured communication between employer, apprentice and training provider. They know what the pathway looks like and feel supported to walk it.
None of it is complicated. All of it is deliberate.
Most organisations want their apprentices to succeed. The ones that achieve it consistently are those that have put the right conditions in place.
With and without a structured apprentices framework
| Without a structured framework | With We Invest in Apprentices |
|---|---|
| Completion rates vary and drop-off is hard to predict | Structured commitment to apprentice success from day one |
| Line manager support is inconsistent and informal | Trained, engaged managers with clear responsibilities |
| No protected study time policy or enforcement | Structured off-the-job learning built into the programme |
| Career progression is vague or undefined | Clear milestones and progression mapped from induction |
| Apprentice feedback is ad hoc or not gathered | Empowered apprentices with formal feedback mechanisms |
| No independent evidence of programme quality | Independently assessed and accredited at Silver, Gold or Platinum |
How We Invest in Apprentices addresses this
The We Invest in Apprentices framework was commissioned by the Department for Education specifically to address the quality of the employer-side of the apprenticeship experience. It assesses your organisation against three areas:
Commitment
whether your business case, recruitment, induction, and pay and benefits are genuinely designed to set apprentices up for success from day one.
Development
whether your objectives, line management, mentoring, and preparation for assessment are stretching apprentices and supporting their growth.
Communication and Support
whether apprentices feel able to give feedback, whether their wellbeing is considered, and whether their successes are recognised.
Accreditation at Silver, Gold or Platinum gives your organisation an independent view of how your programme measures up, and a clear roadmap for where to go next.
Frequently asked questions
Want to build an apprenticeship programme your apprentices actually want to complete?
Tell us about your organisation and one of our team will be in touch.