Understanding the non-completion of apprentices

Approximately half of all apprenticeship contracts in the trades are not completed. This literature review draws together existing research and data to find out why apprentices do not complete their training. The report finds that the most common reasons for not completing are employment-related. These include interpersonal difficulties with employers or colleagues, being made redundant, not liking the work or changing a career. The influence of the employer cannot be overstated. Employers with the highest completion rates are generally larger, experienced employers with well-organised...  [+] Show more

Approximately half of all apprenticeship contracts in the trades are not completed. This literature review draws together existing research and data to find out why apprentices do not complete their training. The report finds that the most common reasons for not completing are employment-related. These include interpersonal difficulties with employers or colleagues, being made redundant, not liking the work or changing a career. The influence of the employer cannot be overstated. Employers with the highest completion rates are generally larger, experienced employers with well-organised systems for managing apprentices, while employers with lower completion rates tend to be smaller, and have less experience.

Published abstract.