The DfE’s New Apprenticeship Rules Won’t Fix the Real Problem: The All-Or-Nothing Four-Year Model Is Broken 

The Department for Education announced this week that it won’t rely on specific Ofsted grades to intervene with poorly-performing apprenticeship providers for the next 12 months. Instead, it’ll take a “case-by-case” approach during the transition to Ofsted’s new inspection regime, which scraps the old “inadequate,” “requires improvement,” “good,” and “outstanding” labels for a five-point scale ranging from “exceptional” to “urgent improvement.” 

Fine. That’s a procedural shift. But here’s what the DfE isn’t addressing: the apprenticeship model itself is fundamentally broken, especially for trades like electrical i nstallation where nearly half of all apprentices don’t make it to the end. 

Let’s talk about the real problem. 

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Apprenticeships Are Failing at an Alarming Rate 

Government figures show that 47% of all apprentices are now dropping out of their course, and 70% of those report problems with the quality of their training, which works out to around 115,000 apprentices every year. That’s not a minor issue. That’s a systemic failure. 

Official government data from March 2021 showed that just 60.2% of apprentices training on new-style standards stayed on their programme until the end in 2019/20, compared to 48.3% the year before. The retention rate on old-style frameworks sat at 69%. So the “reformed” apprenticeship standards are actually performing worse than the system they replaced. 

Even the Skills Minister back in 2021 called the dropout rate “astonishing” and ordered an investigation. But here we are in 2025, and the completion rate hasn’t meaningfully improved. The government set an aspiration to reach 67% achievement by 2024/25. We’re nowhere near it. 

Why Apprentices Are Dropping Out (And It’s Not Always Their Fault) 

Recent analysis of 35,190 data points across 140 training providers found that a third of withdrawals were employment status-related: the learner’s employment was either terminated, they were made redundant, they resigned, or they were promoted to a new role not suitable for their apprenticeship programme. 

Another 6.3% of learners withdrew because an employer no longer supported the apprenticeship or wasn’t actively providing support in the workplace. A further 15% of apprentices withdrew due to a lack of commitment or engagement, poor attendance, or simply no longer wanting to continue. 

But here’s the kicker. Government-commissioned IFF evaluations showed that the most common reason for apprentices not completing their qualifications was being fired or being made redundant, at 11%. 

When an apprentice is made redundant, the government will fund their apprenticeship training for at least 12 weeks following redundancy to give them time to find alternative employment. Twelve weeks. That’s it. Apprentices may be able to complete their apprenticeship, including taking their end-point assessment, even without finding a new e mployer if they have fewer than 6 months left or have completed more than 75% of their training. 

But if you’re two years into a four-year electrical apprenticeship and your employer goes bust? You’re back to square one. You’ve invested two years of your life, worked for apprentice wages, and now you’ve got nothing to show for it because you can’t transfer your progress without finding another employer willing to take you on mid-programme. 

We hear this story constantly. Apprentices who’ve done two, sometimes three years, and then the company collapses, the work dries up, or they have a falling out with their employer. They leave with no qualification, no transferable credit, and they have to start the entire four-year process again if they want to finish. 

That’s not a training pathway. That’s a trap. 

The Four-Year Model Is Outdated and Inflexible 

Here’s the thing. University degrees, which everyone loves to compare apprenticeships to, have more flexibility than this rigid four-year model. At university, you can change your focus after the first year depending on the modules you’ve completed. You get credit for what you’ve done. If you leave after two years, you might not have a full degree, but you’ve got transferable credits. You’ve got something. 

Electrical apprenticeships? All or nothing. Four years or bust. And if anything goes wrong in those four years (company redundancy, employer dispute, personal circumstances, health issues), you’re left with nothing. 

The current model demands a four-year commitment from both the apprentice and the employer, with almost no room for flexibility. That’s a massive ask, especially in an industry where small contractors go under regularly, projects end unexpectedly, and economic downturns hit hard. 

The Solution: Split the Apprenticeship into Three Standalone Stages 

The apprenticeship needs to be restructured into three distinct, credit-bearing stages that allow apprentices to build qualifications progressively rather than gambling everything on a single four-year block. 

Year 1: Level 2 Diploma (C&G 2365-02) + 18th Edition 

The first year should cover the Level 2 Diploma in Electrical Installations alongside the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations. Classroom-based, workshop-focused, with two qualifications at the end that prove foundation-level competence and regulatory knowledge. If an apprentice completes Year 1 and then circumstances change (company goes bust, they move, they decide it’s not for them), they leave with recognised qualifications. Not nothing. A Level 2 and 18th Edition certification. 

Years 2-3: Level 3 Diploma (C&G 2365-03) 

Years two and three should cover the Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations. Classroom and workshop-heavy, with practical assessments throughout. At the end of Year 3, the apprentice has a Level 3 qualification on top of their Level 2 and 18th Edition from Year 1. If they leave at this point (for any reason), they’ve got industry-recognised credentials that prove advanced electrical knowledge. They can work under supervision. They can apply for jobs. They’re not starting from scratch. 

Year 3- 4: NVQ Level 3 + AM2 (Year 3 cross over) 

The final year becomes the NVQ portfolio-building year/years, where the apprentice gathers on-site evidence and sits the AM2 assessment. This is where they prove workplace competence and achieve fully qualified status. But crucially, if something goes wrong in Year 4 (redundancy, employer issue, whatever), they’re not losing three years of work. They’ve already got Level 2, Level 3, and 18th Edition. They can find another employer, continue their NVQ portfolio under a new supervisor, and finish. 

Why the Current Model Persists (And Why It Shouldn’t) 

The argument against splitting the apprenticeship into stages is usually that it “waters down” the qualification or that employers won’t commit to hiring someone for just one year. But that a rgument falls apart when you look at the dropout data. Employers aren’t committing to four years now. They’re hiring apprentices and then making them redundant two years in when work dries up. Or apprentices are leaving because they’re not getting the support they were promised. 

The current model pretends that four-year commitments are realistic when the data proves they’re not. It protects no one. It traps apprentices in a system where any disruption means they lose everything, and it leaves employers stuck with apprentices they can’t afford to keep when circumstances change. 

A modular system allows employers to commit to one-year blocks. It allows apprentices to build credentials progressively. And it allows both parties to reassess at the end of each stage without anyone losing years of investment. 

What About Experienced Workers? 

The Experienced Worker Assessment route exists, and it’s a step in the right direction for people who’ve been working in electrical installations without formal qualifications. But even the EWA has been tightened. You now need five years of verifiable experience, a portfolio of witnessed installations, and you still have to sit the AM2. 

That’s fine for people who’ve been working in the trade. But for apprentices who’ve done two years and then had their employer go bust? They don’t qualify for EWA. They’re not experienced enough. But they’re also not new entrants. They’re stuck in the middle with no route forward except starting over. 

A modular apprenticeship structure would solve this. If you’ve completed Year 1 and Year 2, you’ve got Level 2 and you’re partway through Level 3. You can pick up where you left off with a new employer. You don’t need to prove five years of experience because you’ve got formal qualifications that demonstrate your competence. 

The DfE’s “Case-By-Case” Approach Won’t Fix This 

The DfE’s announcement about not relying on Ofsted grades for the next 12 months is procedural. It’s about how they assess training providers, not how they structure the apprenticeship itself. And whilst it’s good that they’re taking a “holistic view” of provider performance and keeping “the learner experience central to decisions,” none of that addresses the fundamental flaw in the four-year all-or-nothing model. 

A revised apprenticeship accountability framework is due to be published by November 28. Let’s hope it actually tackles the structural issues rather than just tweaking inspection procedures. 

Because here’s what the sector needs: a modular apprenticeship structure that gives apprentices credit for what they’ve completed, reduces the financial and time risk for both employers and learners, and stops forcing people back to square one every time life gets in the way. 

The UK needs electricians. Desperately. We’ve got a skills shortage of over 100,000 workers, and the government keeps talking about building more homes, installing more EV chargers, and hitting renewable energy targets. But we can’t plug that skills gap when nearly half of all apprentices are dropping out before they finish. 

The four-year apprenticeship model is broken. It’s inflexible, unforgiving, and completely out of step with how modern careers work. University students get credit for the years they complete. Adult learners on the fast-track route get qualifications in stages. Why are apprentices the only ones locked into an all-or-nothing system? 

Split the apprenticeship into three stages. Give apprentices exit points. Let them build qualifications progressively. Stop punishing people for circumstances beyond their control. 

Until that happens, we can tweak inspection regimes and accountability frameworks all we want. The completion rates won’t budge, because the system itself is the problem. 

Call us on 0330 822 5337. If you’re stuck halfway through an apprenticeship that fell apart, or if you’re looking for a more flexible route into the electrical trade, we’ll walk you through the adult learner pathway. Level 2, Level 3, 18th Edition, NVQ, AM2. You build the qualifications in stages, gather evidence with our in-house recruitment team placing you with 120+ partner contractors, and you’re not gambling four years on a single employer.