From 11 February 2025, the requirements for English and maths will be optional for apprentices who are aged 19 and over at the start of their apprenticeship training. Funding will continue to be available for English and maths qualifications for adults if they, or you as their employer, feel this is required.

All apprentices will continue to be required to secure, and be assessed, on the job-specific English and maths skills they need as part of the apprenticeship standard, ensuring they have the skills you value the most.

Young apprentices, who are aged 16-18 at the start of their apprenticeship, will continue to be required to secure up to a Level 2 qualification in English and maths, if they do not already hold one.

The policy changes are effective from 11 February 2025 and apply to new starts and existing apprentices. The apprenticeship funding rules will be published shortly and will set out more details regarding how providers and employers should implement this policy change.

Read our help article for the latest updates.

Apprenticeships currently have a duration of at least 12 months but we recognise there are circumstances where a learner can achieve full occupational competence more quickly. To support this, government will be reducing the minimum duration of an apprenticeship to 8 months, down from the current minimum of 12 months. Changes will be introduced from August 2025, subject to the legislative timetable.

This change means apprentices will be able to achieve occupational competence more quickly, where that makes sense, for example because that’s how industry works, or because an individual has significant prior learning that would have previously made them ineligible for apprenticeship training. We will be setting out more detail on how we will work with you to roll out these changes in due course.

Find out more by reading our help article.

The government has announced the assessment process for apprenticeships will be streamlined under a new set of principles . This will remove any unnecessary duplication and ensure the amount of assessment is proportionate.

Where appropriate, End-Point Assessment Organisations (EPAOs) will be able to delegate assessment to the training provider, in line with the assessment plan. In these instances, EPAOs will continue to shape the assessment and ensure validity of outcomes.

Learn more by reading our help article, introducing the new Apprenticeship Assessment Principles.

Payments Simplification aims to reduce bureaucracy and allows employers and training providers to focus on delivering high-quality apprenticeship training.

From August 2025 the Department for Education will begin to remove the need for some data duplication required from training providers, to submit overlapping data via both the ILR and Apprenticeship Service account, to receive funding for apprenticeship training.

This change will eliminate data mismatches between the ILR and Apprenticeship Service submissions, addressing existing issues for training providers. It will also significantly reduce administrative burdens for yourselves and providers and improve cash flow.

Our help article will be updated with further implementation detail in due course.

Now live! The Your Apprenticeship app has been designed by apprentices, for apprentices. As an employer, you won’t need to manage anything in the app, but you can now share the news and encourage your apprentices to download the app today from the App Store or Google Play.

The Your Apprenticeship app aims to empower apprentices and enhance their apprenticeship experience. It ensures they have access to essential tools, resources, and support at their fingertips, setting them up for them success throughout their apprenticeship journey. With new features set to come, tell your apprentices today!

Our help article and webpage will give you more information about the new app.