Government relaxes apprenticeship rules

The UK government has announced plans to boost apprenticeship starts by giving employers more flexibility over English and maths requirements.

According to the government, scrapping the rules will help to reduce bureaucracy in key industries, such as construction, and could facilitate up to 10,000 more apprenticeships per year.  

The changes, announced to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), will allow employers to decide whether adult learners need to complete a level 2 English and maths qualification (equivalent to a GSCE) in order to undertake their apprenticeship course. 

Under the new rules, it is expected that candidates would still be assessed on core English and maths skills relevant to their occupation.

As part of the changes, the minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced from 12 months to eight months. This will be introduced from August 2025, subject to the legislative timetable.

Changes to English and maths requirements will come into effect immediately. 

Commenting on the announcement, Bridget Phillipson, secretary of state for education, said the government is determined to support apprentices throughout NAW and beyond.  

“Businesses have been calling out for change to the apprenticeship system and these reforms show that we are listening,” she said.

“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."

Phillipson added that Skills England will be a "major driver" in addressing skills gaps, which will help support employers across the country.

Skills England, launched in July 2024, is the arm’s-length body tasked with bringing together key stakeholders to meet the country’s skills needs over the next decade. 

The body is expected to identify which apprenticeships would be suitable for the shorter duration approach. It will prioritise key shortage occupations to align with the government’s industrial strategy. 

CIOB has broadly welcomed the government’s focus on the apprenticeship system but raised concerns about how the new reforms could impact outcomes for both employers and apprentices. 

“Changes to apprenticeships are very much needed to increase the number of people entering the construction sector, so the government’s attention to this important matter is very welcome,” said David Barnes, acting head of policy and public affairs at CIOB. 

“However, we have some concerns that shorter periods of learning could lead to lower quality outcomes for apprentices and employers, which in turn could impact the quality and safety of the projects they go on to work on. 

“We could also see higher rates of drop out due to the pressures of undertaking skilled and complex learning in a compressed period of time, particularly when so many are adult learners with families. 

“We’re in favour of streamlining processes to reduce the delays currently experienced by many construction apprentices, for example at the assessment stage, but maintaining high standards and competency must remain a top priority.” 

Mark Farmer, who recently conducted a review of the Construction Industry Training Board, described the announcement as “good news for construction skills and training”. 

Posting on LinkedIn, Farmer said: “The need to reform entry pathways to improve absorption into the sector was a central conclusion of Department for Education 2023 Industry Training Board Review as was the need for changes to English and maths functional testing to be more inclusive.

“We need to shift towards high quality, shorter and front loaded training focused on work readiness, basic occupational competency and productivity.”

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has also welcomed the apprenticeship reforms. 

Craig Beaumont, FSB’s executive director, said: “It’s encouraging to see government shorten the length of apprenticeships, and give employers the right to decide whether level 2 English and maths is needed. 

“These flexibilities should help SME employers fill skills gaps faster.”