The government has confirmed it will axe English and maths functional skills exit requirements for adult apprentices with immediate effect.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the major reforms today to mark National Apprenticeship Week, claiming that the changes slash red tape that will lead to 10,000 more apprentices a year.
Ministers will end the current requirement that apprentices aged 19 or older must pass level 2 functional skills courses to complete their apprenticeship.
The exit rule will be made optional for adults starting today. It is unclear, however, whether the new rule can be applied to apprentices already on-programme or new starters only.
There will also be no change to the rule for 16 to 18 apprentices, who will still be required to pass level 2 functional skills exams to complete their apprenticeship.
Ministers have been warned by the Association of Employment and Learning Providers that not relaxing this exit requirement for young people risks making apprenticeships for this age group, which have plummeted over the past decade, even more “less attractive” to employers.
A DfE spokesperson said the change to English and maths rules for adult apprentices means “more learners can qualify in high demand sectors such as healthcare, social care and construction, helping to drove growth and meet government targets in key areas such as housebuilding”. They estimate this could mean “as many as 10,000 more apprentices per year will be able to complete their apprenticeship”.
The DfE added that this “does not mean that apprentices won’t be assessed on core English and maths skills relevant to their occupation, but it does mean that apprentices will be able to focus more on their paid work”.
Ben Rowland, chief executive of the AELP, said the functional skills exit requirement is “one of the biggest barriers providers, employers and apprentices face within the apprenticeship system, and has caused significant stress and missed opportunities for learners, meaning less progression and locking out many individuals from being able to access an apprenticeship opportunity”.
He added: “While good literacy and numeracy are important in work and life, it is right to remove this as an arbitrary requirement for adults.”
Jill Whittaker, co-founder and executive chair of hospitality apprenticeships provider HIT Training, told FE Week that removing the exit requirement for adults puts apprenticeships “on a level playing field with other post-16 programmes”.
However, she added that the sector must not “throw the baby out with the bathwater”. Providers must “continue to offer high quality English and maths support to those who want and need it”.
