Firms have welcomed the government’s plans to relax rules around maths and English requirements for apprentices as improving “flexibility and inclusivity”.
Apprentices aged 19 and above will no longer be forced to complete English and maths functional skills qualifications in order to qualify, which the Department for Education (DfE) said would allow some 10,000 more apprentices to undertake on the job training each year.
Bosses will now be able to decide whether trainees need to pass the level 2 – on par with GCSE – maths and English courses in order to complete the course, the government said.
It’s part of a drive announced during National Apprenticeship Week to encourage more young people into the construction and health and social care sectors.
While the minimum length of an apprenticeship will be cut to eight months, down from a year, to ensure green energy, health and film and TV production workers – all occupations experiencing shortages – can be on the job sooner.
Greene King chief executive Nick Mackenzie said: “We have long been calling for the government to improve the system’s flexibility and increase its inclusivity.
“Today’s announcement will enable even more people to access fulfilling training in key sectors.”
While Butlin’s boss Jon Hendry Pickup added: “Giving employers more flexibility over maths and English requirements is a huge step in reviving apprenticeship programmes across the country – increasing accessibility for young people to focus on building skills and a career.”
He stressed: “As a society we have an obligation to provide diverse opportunities for those who are not just predisposed to academia.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Businesses have been calling out for change to the apprenticeship system and these reforms show that we are listening.
“Our new offer of shorter apprenticeships and less red tape strikes the right balance between speed and quality, helping achieve our number one mission to grow the economy.”
And Craig Beaumont, director of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said the move was “encouraging” and new flexibility “should help SME employers fill skills gaps faster”.
It also comes as new leadership of Skills England – the new national skills body – was confirmed, with Phil Smith, former Cisco CEO, announced as chairman, and Sir David Bell, Sunderland University chief executive as vice-chairman.
