Change to apprenticeship requirements (English & Maths)

The UK government confirmed during National Apprenticeship Week (10-16 February 2025) a significant overhaul of apprenticeship requirements, removing English and maths functional skills qualifications for adult apprentices and handing more control of the qualifications to employers.

What does this mean for you?
The requirements for English and maths (Level 2) are now optional for apprentices aged 19+ at the start of their apprenticeship training.
Apprentices who began their apprenticeship training when aged 19+ will no longer be subject to the mandatory requirement to study towards and achieve English and maths. However, for apprentices aged 19+, the apprentice or their employer can still choose for the apprentice to study towards an English and maths qualification.
The policy change became effective from 11 February 2025 and will apply to new starts and existing learners on-programme.

Brief background to the change
As you will be aware, prior to this rule change we were obliged to have a discussion with you and your employer as part of the initial eligibility assessment to confirm that you had undertaken and passed level 2 English and Maths functional skills qualifications, or the equivalent functional skills qualifications if you had undertaken Maths & English overseas.
If you did not undertake the qualifications, or if you could not provide evidence e.g. Certificate, then the next step was to agree whether you would study towards English and Maths as part of the apprenticeship programme.

We would then record the decision within the training plan and this would be approved by you and your employer.

This is no longer the case as Maths & English functional skills qualifications are no longer required to complete an apprenticeship training programme for apprentices aged 19+.
If you do not have level 2 functional skills qualifications or their equivalents, you and your employer now have an option.

• You can agree with your employer that you will not undertake the functional skills qualifications. We as the training provider will record this decision on your learner record during the onboarding stage
• You can agree with your employer that you will undertake the functional skills qualifications as part of your apprenticeship programme.

Where it is agreed i.e. between the apprentice and their employer, that an apprentice will study English and maths, we will deliver the necessary amount of training needed in readiness for the assessment(s).

This will be reflected in the training plan and approved by the apprentice, the employer and the Academy, as the apprenticeship provider. Please note, apprentices must attempt the assessment(s) but will not be required to achieve English and Maths to take the end-point assessment of their apprenticeship programme.

The requirements for English and maths for apprentices aged 16-18 at the start of their apprenticeship training has not changed i.e. if the apprentice began their apprenticeship training before their 19th birthday, they will still be subject to the mandatory requirement to study towards and achieve English and maths.