Apprenticeships are a cornerstone of UK business, providing a vital pipeline of skilled talent, however for a number of years providers, employers and learners have been banging the drum for change. Across the country providers have seen apprentices excel in the work environment, but are unable to complete their apprenticeship as they cannot pass functional skills exams.
Whilst achieving Maths and English has been a barrier for many years, the reforms in 2019 moved the content out of what many providers would call “functional” creating additional stresses and complexities in delivery.
During the recent National Apprenticeship Week, the Government removed the requirement of completing functional skills for all apprentices who were aged 19 and over when starting the apprenticeship. Many providers, employers and learners have rejoiced in the update, and it will also be a boom for the government as there will likely be a significant jump in achievement rates compared to previous years.
Personally, I am glad the reforms have come in as inclusion, and participation will increase, however there may be unintended consequences to consider.
Potential Challenges to Monitor:
- Disparity between age groups – Employers could favour apprentices aged 19+ creating a new barrier for already diminishing participation for 16-18 year olds.
- Potential for increased inequality – There is a risk the change could exacerbate existing inequalities, particularly for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who may have weaker foundational skills, which could lead to limited career opportunities in the future.
- Shift in provider resources – There has already been news of providers reducing the number of functional skills tutors in their organisations as they forecast a drop in requirement from apprenticeships. However, reduced capacity and resource could affect people aiming to improve the foundational skills through full cost provision.
- Doing the right thing – Some learners who will no longer study functional skills may have a need to do so. This may harm productivity in the long run. So providers should not now see apprenticeships as an easier sell but ensure their advice is based on the learners need.
The Outweighed Benefits:
- Increased Apprenticeship Completion Rates – Removing barriers like functional skills exams could lead to higher apprenticeship completion rates, addressing skills shortages in certain sectors.
- Greater Accessibility – It could make apprenticeships more accessible to individuals who struggle with traditional academic assessments, including those with learning difficulties
- Workforce Increase – In sectors that are struggling to gain employees, such as early year’s education, this change could allow for a larger amount of qualified professionals.
At WBTC, our preference will be for all learners to achieve their functional skills. We have high aspirations for the achievements of our learners across all of their programmes and believe individuals will benefit in the longer term, from achieving their functional skills. However, the decision ultimately lies with apprentices and their employers.
As a charity, all at WBTC will enjoy seeing the increased participation, inclusion and achievement of apprentices, both locally and nationally.
By Craig Mincher, Managing Director at WBTC.