Learner outcome measures for apprenticeships and adult learning: August 2022 to July 2023

Apprenticeships

• The success rate of apprenticeships was 72% in 2022/23. This is a 5 percentage point increase compared to 2021/22 but lower than levels seen before the pandemic.
• The success rate for foundation level apprenticeships showed the strongest recovery, increasing from 61% to 72%. 
• There was no recovery in the success rate for higher apprenticeships.
• The lack of increase in the higher apprenticeship success rate was driven by an 8% decrease in the success rate for Health, Public Services and Care, which balanced out a 2% increase across other subject areas. 
• There were large increases in the overall success rate in the Information and Communication Technology, and Hair and Beauty sector subject areas in 2022/23 compared to 2021/22.
• Learners who were eligible for Free School Meals in secondary school were 9 percentage points less likely to be successful in their apprenticeships compared to learners who were not eligible.
• Success rates between different sector subject areas ranged from 63% for Hospitality and Catering to 87% for Arts, Media and Publishing. The variability of success rates between different sector subject areas remains higher than pre pandemic levels.

Adult learning

• The success rate of adult learning courses was 84% in 2022/23, an increase of 3 percentage points compared to 2021/22.
• There was a 45% increase in the number of assessable learning activities directly delivered by local authorities in 2022/23 compared to 2021/22, while the success rate for these activities fell by 3%. 
• Education and Training, English for Speakers of Other Languages and Science and Maths saw the biggest increases in success rate in 2022/23 compared to 2021/22.

Notes

The standard outcome measures were not produced in academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21 due to the pandemic. Special reports were produced on Outcomes for learners in post-16 education affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.