South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Hub Welcome The Changes To The Apprenticeship System Introduced By The Government
Businesses will now have the power to choose whether apprentices over 19 years of age will need to complete a Level 2 English and maths qualifications (commonly known as functional skills) at the start of their apprenticeship.
The new rules come in with immediate effect meaning additional flexibility for all new starts as their employer will decide on the importance of gaining English & maths qualifications whilst completing their apprenticeship. South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Hub Manager, Keith Richardson, says “ I am sure this change will be welcomed by all involved in apprenticeships. The old system impacted not only on apprenticeship achievement rates, but more importantly, on the well-being of apprentices. This change gives employers greater flexibility and I am convinced they will still support the development of English and maths; just not with the end goal of the functional skills qualifications ”
Also, there will be a change to the minimum duration of apprenticeships from 12 months to 8 months. These changes will apparently come into effect in August 2025. The plan is for the first three shorter (trailblazer) apprenticeships to be in green energy, healthcare and film/TV production.
The government claims the changes will means upto 10,000 more apprentices each year will complete their programme.
We also now have visibility of the leadership team for Skills England, which is another positive step. We urge both the government and Skills England to continue to provide further clarity on their proposed changes to the apprenticeship system in the near future.