The change in rules was announced yesterday (11 February) and the Department of Education (DfE) hopes the change will attract up to 10,000 new apprentices to join industries in high demand.
Employers will now be able to decide whether apprentices over the age of 19 will need to complete their English and Maths level 2 qualification in order to pass their apprenticeship course.
This news came at the same time as Skills England's new leadership team was announced: Phil Smith CBE, who until last month was chair of semiconductor materials supplier IQE plc, will chair Skills England and Sir David Bell, former Ofsted chief inspector, is to serve as vice chair.
Tessa Griffiths and Sarah Maclean, both currently directors for post-16 skills and strategy, will job share as CEO. Gemma Marsh, Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s skills director, is to be the organisation's deputy CEO.
Skills England works to drive growth across the UK, and identify and address skills gaps in the workforce.
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The government hopes that the new reform will create opportunities across the UK whilst removing a barrier to success, so that apprentices will be able to focus more on paid work.
Head of early careers at Virgin Media O2, Karen Handley, explained that the new reforms to apprenticeships will especially benefit those who may not excel in traditional exam settings.
Handley told HR magazine: “By removing the requirement to complete functional skills qualifications to finish an apprenticeship, there's less focus on the applicant's background and more emphasis on their strengths and motivations.”
These changes will also assist young adults in entering some of the most in-demand industries such as construction, healthcare and social care.
Alexia Pedersen, senior vice president of technical and professional skills provider, O’Reilly, believes that the reforms will also provide an alternative path into other high-demand industries such as AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing.
However, Pederson said, there is still some room to improve on closing the skills gap. She told HR magazine: “To close the UK’s digital skills gap, reforms must incentivise employer-led training. Many businesses still prioritise recruitment over upskilling. Government-backed incentives and funding grants could encourage greater investment in continuous learning.”
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The minimum duration of an apprenticeship has also been reduced to eight months from 12 months, following the change.
It is hoped that this will allow apprentices to complete their course while focusing wholly on paid work rather than dealing with the challenges that often come with exam settings.
Rebecca Rodgers, apprentice and talent development manager at digital services provider at Ricoh UK, told HR magazine: “We’ve seen first-hand apprentices who have excelled in every aspect of their programme, demonstrating full competence and commitment.
“However, due to challenges around sitting functional skills assessments, they were unable to complete their qualification despite their evident potential.”
