Responding to the latest apprenticeship figures, showing a year on year drop in starts of 34% for the first three quarters of 2017/18, Edwin Morgan, Director of Policy at the Institute of Directors, said:

“We now have a full year’s worth of Apprenticeship Levy data, and the results do not make for pleasant reading. On this trajectory, it does not look possible for Government to meet its target of 3 million starts by 2020.

“From the beginning, businesses have raised valid concerns around the complexity and rigidity of the system. The Government recently announced it would allow greater scope for firms to pass Levy funds through their supply chain, and we hope that this is the beginning of further reforms that make the Levy work for both employers and apprentices.

“Improving skills is a leading concern for our members. It’s now time for Government to rethink the approach and work with businesses to turn the levy from a drag on apprenticeships into a system that delivers the right skills in the right places.”