Councils have been left ‘frustrated' by the prospect of having to devote scarce resources to justifying any failure to meet a new apprenticeships target, a think-tank has warned.

A policy briefing by the LGiU on the Government's public sector apprenticeships target – fixed at 2.3% of headcount for many organisations – said the Government had reassured the sector there will be no punishment for failing to meet the target – providing organisations explain their failure to do so in an end-of-year report.