Apprenticeship completion rates have plummeted, with fewer than half of the people who start apprenticeships actually finishing them. In areas such as the electrical sector, this has seen the skills gap deepen despite surging demand. Part of the problem seems to be a failure to convert an interest in classroom-based electrical engineering courses into apprenticeships, but at the same time the SMEs which provide apprenticeships are finding it harder to take apprentices on because of rising costs and risk. Now the government is being called on the rebalance funding towards employment outcomes, to put employers at the centre of the system, and to reduce costs for SMEs.