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High apprenticeship drop out rates are ripping off taxpayers, according to the education secretary, who told the Conservative Party conference she is “hugely focused” on improving completions.

Speaking at a conference panel organised by the think tank Policy Exchange, Gillian Keegan also said she was “outraged” by the introduction of the apprenticeship levy when working in business before becoming an MP, admitting that she later realised it was designed to “irritate us into action” amid low private investment in training.

At the ‘How can degree apprenticeships fulfil their potential’ debate yesterday, Keegan was asked by Association of Colleges president Corrienne Peasgood how degree apprenticeship completion rates could be improved, particularly for apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Keegan claimed that the completion rates for degree apprenticeships were currently “about 88 per cent”, which would be much higher than the 55 per cent national average for 2021/22. 

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