Mr. William Beausang:

On the number of craft apprentices who are recorded as having left their apprenticeships the dropout rate between 2021 and 2023 - over that three-year period - was 1,526. That was out of the total population of 66,525. There was a previously quoted dropout rate of 3,376 for that, which was based on overstated data that included instances where apprentices had paused their apprenticeship. In overall terms it is not as bad. We would never look at any drop out, whether it is an apprenticeship, in further education or in higher education and say, "That is a good outcome". It means somebody started something that he or she did not complete, which means the person had taken a step back rather than a step forward.