Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced changes to apprenticeship rules at the start of National Apprenticeship Week.
In a significant move aimed at increasing the number of apprentices, the government has announced the removal of the requirement for adult apprentices to pass level 2 functional skills courses in English and maths to complete their apprenticeship.
This change, effective immediately, allows businesses to decide whether adult learners over the age of 19 when they start their apprenticeship course will need to complete a level 2 English and maths qualification (equivalent to GCSE) to pass. It is expected to apply to both current and new apprentices, although we are awaiting official confirmation of this as well as more details on how this will operate in practice.
Starting from the next academic year, the minimum duration of apprenticeships will be reduced from 12 to 8 months. This reduction is intended to cut red tape and make apprenticeships more accessible, potentially increasing the number of apprentices by 10,000 per year, according to estimates from the Department for Education (DfE).
This is unlikely to be a blanket change, and Skills England will be asked to identify which apprenticeships this shorter duration will apply to. The government will ask Skills England to prioritise key shortage occupations as per the industrial strategy.
The changes will be welcomed by many in the sector as long overdue and are expected to have a positive impact on high-demand sectors such as healthcare, social care, and construction. By easing the requirements and shortening the duration, the government aims to help more learners qualify in these critical areas.
The quality of End-point Assessment provision is not expected to change, so the challenge for apprenticeship providers will be to deliver high-quality training in a shorter time span. As well as ensuring that, despite the removal of English and maths requirements, apprentices leave with sufficient literacy and numeracy skills.
Reacting to the changes, Gateway Qualifications CEO, Fabienne Bailey, said:
Gateway Qualifications supports these changes aimed at improving starts on apprenticeships and can see how the shorter timeframes may also boost retention and achievement rates which have struggled for many years now.
Whilst the changes are positive for adult apprentices, we do recognise the potential negative impact on 16-18 apprenticeship starts and encourage the Department to consider initiatives and flexibilities that will encourage more younger people to take an apprenticeship, more employers to take on apprentices and for more young people to be able to succeed in finding employment through the apprenticeship route.
In addition to these changes, the government has introduced three new “trailblazer apprenticeships” in green energy, healthcare, and film/TV production. These apprenticeships will pioneer the shorter-duration approach, setting a precedent for future programs.
The government’s decision marks a significant shift in apprenticeship policy, intending to make vocational training more accessible and responsive to the needs of the economy.