We wholeheartedly agree with the Baroness’s analysis. Our own evidence to the Commons sub-committee on education, skills and the economy highlights the fact that the progression on implementation of the reforms is abysmal. At the current rate of progress it will take decades to implement the reforms. The much heralded Institute for Apprenticeships has already lost its interim Chief Executive after just a few months in office. She has voted with her feet. Everyone involved can see that despite all the hard work put in by employers and others the policy is on the point of collapse.

At the time of the enquiry in March 2016 we stated that although we support the Government's policy to improve the quality of apprenticeships by fundamental reforms, there are a number of major concerns in the way that the reforms and their implementation have been managed and which are holding back progress, which could potentially result in the policy not meeting its objective.