Government announces shorter and flexible apprenticeships
Following up on strong engagement from the BRC, government announced changes to apprenticeships, to cut red tape and boost economic growth.
Changes aim to give employers more flexibility over maths and English requirements, which will come into effect immediately.
Businesses will now be able to decide whether adult learners over the age of 19 when they start their apprenticeship course will need to complete a level 2 English and maths qualification (equivalent to GCSE) in order to pass it.
The minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months, down from the current minimum of 12 months. This will be introduced from August 2025 (subject to the legislative timetable).
Phil Smith CBE was appointed chair of Skills England, the new nationwide body for skills, with Sir David Bell serving as Vice Chair. Tessa Griffiths and Sarah Maclean will jointly serve as CEO, while Gemma Marsh will serve as Deputy CEO.
Phil Smith is the former chair and CEO of international tech and telecoms giant Cisco. He brings extensive industry experience in digital, tech and innovation leadership. Sir David Bell has four decades of experience in the education and skills sector and is currently Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland.
To inform BRC’s position on skills, we are hosting a HR Technical call on 12 February (1-2pm, MS Teams) for an open member discussion to inform out future engagement and briefing papers. Follow this link to join.
