From first login to final assessment: How Bud drives “off-the-charts” learner engagement

In this article: How Bud keeps learners engaged across the whole learner journey, from enrolment and everyday learning to AI-powered support, faster feedback and early intervention, with results from providers supported by Bud. | 10 minute read.

Short on time? Here are the key points:

• Engagement is a completion issue. Apprenticeship achievement rates have recovered to 65.4% (2024/25) but remain below the Government’s 67% target. Lack of time for learning, poor training, and badly run programmes are among the most common reasons apprentices leave.

• Engagement starts at enrolment. Bud’s digital enrolment lets learners apply from any device, at any time, so they get off to a smooth start.

• An interface that stays out of the way. Learners see what they're working on, what's required and what comes next, without information overload.

• Progress is always visible. Progress indicators, milestone tracking, and automated nudges help learners see how far they've come and simplifies taking their next step.

• Help when learners get stuck, at any hour. Bud Assist for Learners gives contextual AI support built around each learner's own programme. 41% of sessions happen outside typical working hours, so providers can offer out-of-hours support without extra headcount.

• Faster feedback. Bud Mark delivers personalised feedback within seconds and reduces marking time by 50% for tutors.

• Early intervention for providers. Real-time alerts, dashboards and AI-powered Learner Insights surface at-risk learners before small issues turn into withdrawals.

• Proven results. At Hays Travel, 99.5% of learners are on track with off-the-job learning and 50% achieve a distinction, compared with 37-39% nationally. 

In funded skills delivery, learner engagement is rarely lost in one dramatic moment. When intervention is only reactive, small issues such as missed tasks, disengagement, or delayed reviews quickly compound into withdrawals and poor outcomes.

Why engagement matters: what the research says

Apprenticeship completion is still a sector-wide challenge. Research by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), funded by the Gatsby Foundation, shows that achievement rates fell from 69% in 2013/14 to around 53% in 2021/22. They have since recovered, reaching 65.4% in 2024/25, but that is still short of the government’s long-standing 67% target, and ministers now want rates to exceed 70%.

The stakes for learners are high. Three years after leaving, apprentices who didn’t complete earn less and are more likely to be unemployed than those who did.

Personal circumstances play a big part in why apprentices leave, but so does the programme itself. In a Department for Education survey of 541 apprentices who didn't complete, the most common programme-related reasons were not having enough time for learning (44%), training not being as good as they'd hoped (43%), and the apprenticeship being badly run or poorly organised (41%). A separate DfE study on reasons for non-completion found that learners expected their tutors to stay in regular contact and give timely feedback and expected a workload they could fit around their personal priorities.

Engagement starts at enrolment

Enrolment is one of the first barriers learners face, and getting them up and running quickly keeps motivation high. Bud's digital enrolment is designed to remove that early friction.

The journey from application to active learner takes five steps:

1. Create the learner record: Providers integrate their CRM through Bud’s API suite, import a CSV, or add learners directly in Bud. Enrolment questions can be configured by programme, so every learner record captures exactly what the team needs.

2. Learner applies: Bud guides learners through a mobile-friendly application form, which they can complete at any time, from anywhere. Validation rules and required fields prevent missing or incorrect information, cutting the back-and-forth with learners and employers.

3. Check eligibility: Automated ID verification and funding eligibility checks help identify any eligibility issues before they become problems. Evidence is captured and validated against funding rules, and teams get clear visibility of each learner’s status and any outstanding requirements.

4. Sign and assess: Bud captures digital signatures for learner agreements and employer sign-off, and its direct BKSB and CENTURY integrations bring initial assessment results straight into the learner record, so there’s no paper-based process or manual follow-up.

5. Go live: The ILR is generated automatically, and the learner is active on programme.

This journey is a big step on from paper forms, manual follow-ups, and information scattered across multiple systems.

Bud's easy-to-follow enrolment process also lays the foundations for every learner to experience their own personalised learner journey. Direct BKSB and CENTURY integrations bring assessment results into the learner record, and Bud's CognAssist integration can identify Additional Learning Support needs. During enrolment, Bud uses each learner’s start date, working hours and any prior learning to shape their training plan, so learners start on a plan that reflects where they are.

Skills4Pharmacy says the effect on engagement is immediate. With Bud, "learners get logins and access to the system before their start date", which Managing Director Jamie Crinigan says helps build engagement. Bud also gives the team visibility of the whole enrolment process, so they can see if learners get stuck at any stage and help them along. At Raise the Bar, Director of Operations Janette Healey notes that learners now complete their own enrolment and forms, providing crucial data just once, so it is more likely to be correct from the outset, helping to avoid complications with funding later down the line.

An interface learners can use

Many learners are starting adult learning for the first time, so the platform needs to be easy to navigate from the start. As we’ve explored before, a good user experience should feel invisible, sitting in the background so learners can focus on learning.

In practice, learners log in and see what they’re studying, what actions are required, and their training materials, submissions, and messages, so they always know what to do next, without the information overload Stuart warns about in other interfaces.

Learners, trainers, and employers all work in one connected interface, accessible from any device.

Seeing progress and what comes next

Momentum matters, especially on longer programmes. Through programme delivery in Bud, learners can see exactly where they are in their programme at any point, what's been completed, what's outstanding, and what's coming next. ABM says activities help tutors and learners "see where they are and what needs to be completed."

Visual progress indicators, milestone tracking, and automated email nudges reinforce momentum at key stages. To encourage variation in learning, Bud supports a wide range of activity types, including assignments, observations, practice tests, and workshops.

Help the moment learners get stuck

Learners don't need to be disengaged to get stuck. Often a learner logs in, starts an activity, genuinely tries to progress, and then hits a wall. When no one is available in the moment, progress can stall; it’s a support gap providers can’t simply staff their way out of.

Bud Assist for Learners is AI-powered support built directly into the Bud platform which gives learners a place to turn the moment they get stuck, without waiting for their next tutor session. Because it draws on each learner’s programme, learning plan, activities and progress, it gives guidance tailored to the task in front of them, rather than a generic answer.

Adult learning doesn’t keep office hours. A recent analysis of Bud customer usage found that 41% of learner sessions with Bud Assist for Learners took place outside typical working hours. That points to a real gap in support: learners are often looking for help at times when tutors aren't available. It also fits a previous DfE finding that lack of time for learning is one of the most common reasons apprentices leave. Bud customers are closing that gap, as Bud Assist for Learners gives providers a first line of support between tutor sessions without extra headcount.

Emerging research supports the potential of well-designed AI support. In a 2025 randomised controlled trial at Harvard, students using a custom AI tutor learned significantly more in less time than students in an in-class active learning session and reported feeling more engaged and motivated. The study involved undergraduate physics students rather than apprentices, but its central point carries over: the AI tutor was designed around the same pedagogical best practice as the classroom teaching, not used as a generic tool.

Faster feedback with less waiting

Waiting for feedback can further stall momentum. Unsurprisingly, learners expect timely feedback from their tutors, and slow responses can leave them unsure how to move on. Bud Mark, Bud's AI-powered assessment tool, delivers personalised, high-quality feedback within seconds. In a formal trial, Skills4Group found Bud Mark cut marking time by 50%. With marking submissions alone taking up to 1.5 days a week, that’s significant time tutors can put back into supporting learners.

Reviews learners are part of

Progress reviews are a key moment of engagement, and Bud structures them. Tutors receive automated reminders as reviews approach, with progress to date, off-the-job hours, and outstanding activities all in the platform. Employers can add comments in advance, and digital signatures from the learner, employer, and trainer are captured at the end. Employers also have a dedicated portal showing each learner's journey from enrolment to completion, so the workplace stays connected to the learning.

And Bud's continuing to make the review process smoother, simpler, and more effective for trainers and learners alike. From pulling programme info and learner activity for automatic review prep to summarising review actions and next steps, Bud's new Review Agent, launching November 2026, helps trainers move from conversation to action.

Inclusion and support that keeps pace with learners

Learners’ needs and circumstances change, and the support around them must keep up. With Ofsted placing greater emphasis on inclusion, wellbeing, and learner support, providers also need to show the impact of the support they deliver.

Bud’s enhanced Inclusion & Support functionality brings together wellbeing reviews, wellbeing logs, inclusion notes, and support plans, structured around the Assess, Plan, Do, Review approach. That means the needs identified through initial assessments at enrolment can be carried through into ongoing support, rather than stopping at the start of the programme.

The functionality was shaped with comprehensive collaboration with our customers. Gemma Hart, Learner Experience Director at Tempdent and KNOVIA Group, explains why it matters:

“At Tempdent, our 4D initial assessments helped us build a rounded picture of each learner. But identifying those initial needs was only the beginning. We also needed to make sure the right support was put in place, reviewed regularly and adapted as the learner’s circumstances changed.

The enhanced Inclusion & Support functionality has given us a clearer way to connect what we learn through our initial assessments with the support that follows. The Wellbeing Log keeps every concern, action, and outcome together so that nothing gets lost between conversations or teams, while the Assess, Plan, Do, Review approach gives us a clear and evidence-based way to drive the right support for every learner.”

Tempdent is now scaling the approach across the entire KNOVIA Group to support even more learners.

See the functionality in action: Chris Greatorex, Senior Product Owner at Bud, and Gemma Hart introduce it in a live webinar on 21 October 2026.

Helping providers put learners first

With Bud's learner management tools, tutors can message learners one-to-one, broadcast updates to entire cohorts, or communicate within specific activities. Providers can tailor the pace, focus, and activities to each learner's needs within the individual learning plan, a flexibility that, done well, support learner success. As QA puts it: "Bud has supported us in our mission to put the learner first. We are able to tailor our apprentices’ learning journeys to meet their individual needs."

Crucially, Bud helps providers spot disengagement before it becomes a withdrawal. It flags missing evidence, overdue reviews, unsigned documents, and learners without scheduled reviews, alerting teams in real time. Interactive dashboards give tutors and managers a live view of overdue activities, missed reviews, and gaps in off-the-job hours, whilst tutors can also see RAG ratings and submission tracking across their caseload.

Bud Assist: Learner Insights goes further, using machine learning to identify where extra support may be needed. You can read more on how predictive analytics can reduce apprenticeship withdrawals. Each insight is ranked by the level of intervention required, and learner lists can be sorted so those most in need appear first. Dave Jones, Tutor/Coach at Blue Lion Training Academy, values how clearly Bud shows tutors where each apprentice is and how well they're performing.

"The layout, the structure, & the signals to the tutor about where an apprentice is, and the signals back to the business about where apprentices are and how well they're performing [...] is absolutely fantastic."

Research backs this approach. In a randomised controlled trial in distance education, learners who received interventions based on predictive analytics had significantly better retention, and the approach made student support easier to deliver at scale and at lower cost. Another study in the Journal of Learning Analytics found that more than 30% of students flagged as at risk went on to engage with learning activities they hadn't touched before, within two weeks of an intervention.

The result: learner engagement "off the charts"

Hays Travel, the UK's largest independent travel agent and a long-standing apprenticeship employer provider, shows what this looks like at scale. With Learner Insights and reporting, the team now has a clear, real-time view of learner progress, so they can spot issues earlier. Structured review workflows, including learners contributing ahead of scheduled reviews, have made reviews more consistent and better prepared.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• 99.5% of Hays Travel learners are on track with off-the-job learning

• 100% are on track with their activity progress

• Learner numbers grew by 150% across all sites

• 50% of learners achieve a distinction, compared with 37-39% nationally

Apprenticeship Delivery Manager Natasha Heslop says Bud has given the team "greater visibility and control across our apprenticeship delivery."

ANS Academy tells a similar story. Six months after moving to Bud, Head of Apprenticeships Tom Robinson reported: "The engagement of our learners is off the charts." ANS has since achieved 'Strong' across every category under Ofsted's new framework.

Engagement by design

No single Bud capability drives engagement on its own. The research points to the same things learners and providers say they need: time and flexibility to learn, timely feedback, regular support, and early action when someone starts to fall behind. Bud is built to deliver all four.

Bud continues to add to this, by developing the product roadmap with the providers who use the platform every day. Bud’s focus is on building increasingly connected, intelligent and personalised capabilities across the full learner journey, shaped alongside the providers who use the platform every day. The aim is simple: to make it easier for every learner to progress, access the right support and stay engaged. Recent developments, from Bud Assist for Learners to the new Inclusion & Support functionality built with providers like Tempdent, are part of that direction, using the data and context already held in Bud to make support more timely, more relevant and, over time, more proactive.

Want to see how Bud can help keep your learners engaged? Book a discovery call with our team.