Gillian Keegan can’t understand why more apprentices don’t complete

Completion rates is where I’m hugely focused… I think they are about 88 per cent for degree apprenticeships. I can’t understand why they’re not 99 per cent. Who would give up that opportunity? So I need to work to make sure that we get to… I mean one or two may drop out, but it should be really, really high – because it’s a brilliant opportunity that loads of people want now.

The strange thing is that the latest available stats on the Department for Education’s website records the achievement rate for higher level apprenticeships at 52.6 per cent – the sort of stat that really ought to be causing boots on the ground, given OfS’ minimum threshold is set at 55 per cent.

What could be causing the problem? Some of the “problem” will be students moving into jobs, but in terms of the experience itself, Keegan might do well to take a look at this year’s National Student Survey results.

They had satisfaction with course organisation at just 57 per cent – 15.4 percentage points lower than full-time undergrads. There was also an almost 10pp gap on communicating course changes, and scores were also much lower for exploring ideas in depth, intellectual stimulation and acting on student feedback.

Pay might also be an issue. In the latest feedback survey, the vast majority of degree apprentices were working 31 to 40 hours a week, with median gross hourly pay at £13.84 an hour – £519 on a 37.5 hour week.

But for the lowest income full-time undergrads, a significant number are working near-on full time hours in casual jobs with a maintenance loan on top. There might be a debt differential, but the idea that it “pays” to take an apprenticeship is under increasing pressure.