See this FE Week article on the headlines from the DfE’s annual report and accounts. The report also says (in the risk register section on page 18) that the risk that the apprenticeships reforms might result in damage to quality, volumes and/or reputation of apprenticeships was decreasing at year-end. There was no reference to the falling start numbers, instead the report points out that “the Department’s reforms are increasing the quality of apprenticeships and we have a number of mitigating activities in place to ensure the availability of quality apprenticeship provision, such as a comprehensive compliance and performance-monitoring regime, and regular reviews of the long-term model”.
